crotch

From Middle English crotche, croche (also in unassilibated form croke, "a shepherd's crook"), from Old French croche (“shepherd's crook”); merged with Middle English cruche, crucche (“a crutch”). More at crook, crutch.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɹɑtʃ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kɹɒtʃ/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɒtʃ

crotch (plural crotches)

1. The area where something forks or branches, a ramification takes place.

   There is a child sitting in a crotch of that tree.

2. The ventral area (very bottom) of the human body between where the legs fork from the torso, in the area of the genitals and anus.

   Every mile they rode their crotches felt worse saddlepain.

3. (slang, euphemistic) Either the male or female genitalia.

   He cringed at being kicked in the crotch.

4. (billiards) In the three-ball carom game, a small space at each corner of the table.

• crotch area
• crotch seam
• split crotch
• finger crotch

crotch (third-person singular simple present crotches, present participle crotching, simple past and past participle crotched)

1. (transitive) To provide with a crotch; to give the form of a crotch to.

   to crotch the ends of ropes in splicing or tying knots

2. (transitive, logging, historical, US, western US) To notch (a log) on opposite sides to provide a grip for the dogs that will haul it.