Other forms: haunches
A haunch is the upper leg and hip of an animal. A haunch of venison, sit back on its haunches, powerful haunches.
On his haunches is the ordinary phrase for squatting, since a person's haunches are the same part. In butchery a haunch is the whole hind leg and loin, a joint you would only see at a feast.
1nounhaunchThe upper leg and hip of an animal.
“The hunters roasted a haunch of venison over the fire.”
haunch is a part.
Old French hanche comes from a Germanic word for the hip.
Proto-Indo-European
*ang- — joint; lith
Proto-Germanic
*ankijǭ — joint; ankle
Frankish
*ankijā
Old French
hanche
Middle English
haunche
English, today
haunch
From Middle English haunche, hanche, from Old French hanche, hance, anche (compare French hanche, Italian anca), from a gem - source, probably Frankish ankijā, from Proto-Germanic ankijǭ (“joint; ankle”), from Proto-Indo-European ang- (“joint; lith”). Cognate with Old High German ancha, encha, einka (“the leg; joint, bend”) (compare Old High German anchila, enchila (“ankle”), German Hanke (“haunch”), West Frisian hancke (“haunch”). More at ankle.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA