Verb: hunker down
- Sit on one's heels
"The children hunkered down to protect themselves from the sandstorm";
- squat, hunker, scrooch [US, informal]
- Take shelter
"During the sandstorm, they hunkered down in a small hut"
- Hold stubbornly to a position
"The wife hunkered down and the husband's resistance began to break down"
- Get to work and focus on a task
"It's time to hunker down and finish this project before the deadline";
- knuckle down, buckle down
Derived forms: hunkered down, hunkering down, hunkers down
Type of: crouch, crouch down, hide, hide out [informal], hold firm, scooch, sit, sit down, stand fast, stand firm, stand pat [N. Amer]
Encyclopedia: Hunker down