Squatness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The characteristic of being low and broad in form can refer to both physical stature and particular designs or structures
2. This quality implies a compact and sturdy shape that can be observed in living beings or various objects
3. The trait of having a short and stocky appearance is applicable to both organisms and inanimate entities

Etymology: "Squatness" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "squat," meaning low and thickset, with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality. Adding "-ness" to adjectives is one of English's oldest and most productive patterns, so the word needed no special coinage to describe a squat object or person. The adjective "squat" has a more tangled past. It descends from Middle English "squatten," meaning to crouch or sit down, which came into English from Old French "esquatir," meaning to flatten or crush. That French verb is itself built from "es-," from Latin "ex," meaning out, and "quatir," which ultimately traces back to Latin "coactus," a past participle of "cogere," meaning to press together or compel. So the sense of pressing something down flat sits beneath the modern picture of a short, broad shape.

Synonyms: shortness, stoutness, compactness

Antonyms: tallness, slenderness