rhizoverbBeta
DictionarystoopBent posture
noun / verb

stoop

STOOP/stuːp/

A bending downward of the upper body.

He stoops to pick up a glove from the ground.

Side view of a standing man bending his torso forward and downward to pick up a dropped glove, with his hips high and knees only slightly bent so the stooping posture is unmistakable.
Etymology
stoopOld Englishto bow, bend

Old English stupian described bowing or bending. The modern bodily sense preserves that concrete movement: lowering the body by bending forward and downward.

In context

National Human Genome Research Institute102:21
we can almost stoop down and get the gold nuggets that are on the surface
20 Years After the Human Genome Project: G5 Leaders Reunite

More examples

  • He walks with a slight stoop in his shoulders.
  • I stoop to pass under the low beam.
  • She stooped to speak to the child at eye level.

Forms

stoop · stoops · stooped · stooping

Similar words

bend
Broader; can describe movement at any joint or in objects.
hunch
Emphasizes rounding the back and drawing the shoulders forward.
bow
Often describes bending forward as a greeting or sign of respect.