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The Daily Insight

Is hunker down a real word

Author

Christopher Lucas

Published Apr 06, 2026

When “hunker down” entered American English, it took on more metaphorical meanings. A list of regionalisms from southeast Missouri published in 1903 defined the phrase as “to get down to one’s work.” Lyndon Johnson took the expression from his Texan upbringing and introduced it into American political discourse.

What's another way to say hunker down?

In this page you can discover 9 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for hunker-down, like: hunker, crouch, scrunch up, get-down, hunch, scrunch, squat, hunch down and squat down.

Is it hunker or hunker down?

hun·ker. 1. To squat close to the ground; crouch. Usually used with down: hunkered down to avoid the icy wind.

How do you use hunker down in a sentence?

1, He felt his backache and didn’t hunker down. 2, Their strategy for the moment is to hunker down and let the fuss die down. 3, School had trained them to hunker down, to disengage. 4, Hunker down and attempt to weather the storm?

Who started hunker down?

This was a south-western US dialect form that was popularised by President Johnson in the mid 1960s. Despite its Scots ancestry, hunker is rare in standard British English.

What sough means?

Definition of sough intransitive verb. : to make a moaning or sighing sound.

When did hunker down start?

hunker (v.) “to squat, crouch,” 1720, Scottish, of uncertain origin, possibly a nasalized borrowing of a Scandinavian word such as Old Norse huka “to crouch,” hoka, hokra “to crawl.” Hunker down, Southern U.S. dialectal phrase, is from 1902, popularized c.

What is another word for Bunker?

ditchdugoutblockhouseunderground sheltercellarcavepitexcavationhollowshaft

What other terms or phrases mean postulate?

  • assumption,
  • given,
  • hypothetical,
  • if,
  • premise.
  • (also premiss),
  • presumption,
  • presupposition,
What does hunker down at home mean?

When you hunker down, you settle into a safe, sheltered position. Some people evacuate their homes during a big hurricane, while others hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. This term is such a popular way to describe taking shelter from a storm that it’s become a weather report cliché.

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What is the definition of octogenarians?

Definition of octogenarian : a person whose age is in the eighties The octogenarian uses a cane for walking. Other Words from octogenarian More Example Sentences Learn More About octogenarian.

What does hunker down mean UK?

to make yourself comfortable in a place or situation, or to prepare to stay in a place or position for a long time, usually in order to achieve something or for protection: The press have hunkered down for the night outside the palace, waiting for news of the royal birth.

What does it mean to be dichotomous?

Definition of dichotomous 1 : dividing into two parts. 2 : relating to, involving, or proceeding from dichotomy the plant’s dichotomous branching a dichotomous approach can’t be split into dichotomous categories.

What does it mean to be sought out?

to search for and find someone or something. We will seek someone out to do the work for us. Liz sought out a helper for Karen. See also: out, seek.

Do postulates require proof?

postulateA postulate is a statement that is accepted as true without proof.

Can postulates always be proven true?

Postulates can always be proven true. When using indirect proof, we show that the negation of the desired conclusion leads to a contradiction.

What does towering over someone mean?

Definition of tower above/over 1 : to be much taller than (someone or something) He towers over his sister. The two skyscrapers tower above the other buildings of the city. 2 : to be much better or more important than (someone or something) Her intellect towers above/over ours.

What is bunkering in ship?

In shipping, bunkering refers to the fuelling of ships with marine (bunker) fuels used to power them, and also includes food and drinking water supplies for the crew. The fuelling operation can either be carried out via pipeline or tanker vehicle at berth or with special bunker vessels on the water.

What does being bunker mean?

Definition of bunker mentality : a state of mind especially among members of a group that is characterized by chauvinistic defensiveness and self-righteous intolerance of criticism.

What is a bunker in the kitchen?

*A bunker is a kitchen worktop and slitter is a verb which means ‘to eat or work messily’.

What is bunker down day?

To bunker down is to find shelter against attack, whether that shelter is physical or metaphorical.

What do you call a 60 year old?

What does sexagenarian mean? A sexagenarian is someone in their 60s (60 to 69 years old), or someone who is 60 years old.

What age is a septuagenarian?

: a person who is between 70 and 79 years old. See the full definition for septuagenarian in the English Language Learners Dictionary.

What do you call someone in their 50s?

What does quinquagenarian mean? A quinquagenarian is someone in their 50s (50 to 59 years old), or someone who is 50 years old.

Is gender a dichotomy?

They state that “[s]ex is dichotomous, with sex determination in the fertilized zygote stemming from unequal expression of sex chromosomal genes.” In contrast, gender is seen as including “perception of the individual as male, female, or other, both by the individual and by society”.

What is the difference between a paradox and a dichotomy?

The essential difference between these two concepts is that a dichotomy separates two items into two groups or subsets. … A paradox, also separates words into two groups, but each group has an opposite meaning. A paradox contradicts itself, because the words are opposing.

What does family dichotomy mean?

Children of Dichotomy: Living With Families That Don’t Share Your Socio-Political Beliefs. … The reality, however, is that not everyone has the opportunity, agency or emotional ability to leave families that are discriminating against them or others in the world around them.