Meaning & use
haunches
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“haunches” is a form of “haunch”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
The rear parts of an animal's body, including the hips and upper thighs, especially when the animal is sitting or crouching.
Grammar: Plural of haunch; used for both back legs together: the dog sat on its haunches.
Patterns
- sit on its haunches
- squat on your haunches
The dog sat back on its haunches and waited for the ball.
The lion lowered its haunches, ready to leap.
The horse's powerful haunches rippled as it ran.
nounpluralinformal
A person's buttocks and upper thighs, mainly in the phrase for crouching down with the weight on the legs.
Grammar: Usually appears after on: he squatted on his haunches.
Patterns
- squat on your haunches
- crouch on your haunches
She squatted on her haunches to look at the flowers.
The children dropped onto their haunches to inspect the beetle.
He rested on his haunches while he fixed the tire.
nouncountable
A cut of meat from the back leg and hip of an animal such as deer or lamb.
Grammar: In this sense the singular haunch is common: a haunch of venison.
Patterns
- a haunch of something
The chef carved a haunch of venison at the table.
They roasted a haunch of lamb for the holiday dinner.
Two haunches of beef hung in the butcher's cold room.
Word forms
| singular | haunch |
|---|
Common combinations
- squat on your haunches
- He squatted on his haunches to talk to the child.
- sit back on its haunches
- The cat sat back on its haunches and stared.
- crouch on one's haunches
- She crouched on her haunches beside the stream.
- powerful haunches
- The racehorse had powerful haunches.
- haunch of venison
- A haunch of venison was the centerpiece of the feast.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hindquarters
- Hindquarters is used mainly for animals and sounds more technical, while haunches also fits a person crouching.
- rump
- A rump is just the rounded rear end, whereas haunches includes the upper back legs as well.
- hams
- Hams are the upper back thighs and is more informal; it does not suggest the sitting position that haunches does.
Word family
Commonly confused: haunches or hunches?
haunches vs hunches
Hunches are feelings that something is true without proof. Haunches are the back parts of a body.
Practice
The cat sat back on its ___ and watched the bird.
Choose one answer.
Haunches are an animal's hindquarters. Hunches means vague feelings, which does not fit; the other options are misspellings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “haunches”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.