What does the word "hunker" mean

I have been hearing the words "hunker down" and wondering what this really means in regard to . Obviously, this word started to be used before people maybe had beds or benches to sit on and just squated down a lot. You still see people squatting down in groups sometimes in Asia where people who are poorer have less possessions than here in the U.S. you often will see this in 3rd world nations a lot too.

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hunk·er

ˈhəNGkər/

verb

verb: hunker; 3rd person present: hunkers; past tense: hunkered; past participle: hunkered; gerund or present participle: hunkering

1. 1.

   squat or crouch down low.

   "he hunkered down beside her"

   • hunch; bend.

     "burly workers hunkered over the menu of the day"
   • US

     take shelter in a defensive position.

     "the best way to deal with your father is to hunker down and let it blow over"
2. 2.

   apply oneself seriously to a task.

   "students hunkered down to prepare for the examinations"

Origin

early 18th century: probably related to Dutch huiken and German hocken .