squinch

(noun) a small arch built across the interior angle of two walls (usually to support a spire).

(verb) crouch down.

(verb) draw back, as with fear or pain. Synonyms: flinch, funk, cringe, shrink, wince, recoil, quail. Example: "She flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf."

(verb) cross one's eyes as if in strabismus. Synonyms: squint. Example: "The children squinted so as to scare each other."