Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US, also squat the blot) to sit down, usu. to do nothing is implied.

1836		Crockett’s Yaller Flower Almanac 32: When you come to put in the scientific licks, I squat [DA].
1846		Durivage & Burnham Stray Subjects (1848) 79: A migratory race of bipeds – who float about from spot to spot, ‘squatting,’ for the nonce, wherever their fancy or interest may incline them.
1905		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 129: All were so happy that we could squat and stick our feet under the other fellow’s chair.
1910, 1927		cited in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993).
1933		B. Ross Tragedy of Z 39: ‘Squat, Sherlocka,’ he said. ‘If you insist on parking here, you may as well do your heavy thinking off those beautiful little feet of yours.’.
1944		D. Burley Orig. Hbk of Harlem Jive 65: None of these fine young fryers all squatting on them fine soft tops is got a parachute.
1959		D. Niland Gold in the Streets (1966) 1464: ‘Squat the blot,’ Danno invited.
1960		J. Havoc Early Havoc 19: ‘Squat,’ he said. I sat down.
1961		R.A. Norton Through Beatnik Eyeballs 57: ‘Squat,’ he say, while I searches the pad for a seat.
1972		D. Claerbaut Black Jargon in White America 81: squat v. to sit.
2007		N. McCall Them (2008) 134: I need to squat a minute and work through some things.

2. (US prison) to be executed in the electric chair; to execute.

1936		Mencken Amer. Lang. (4th edn) 581: In virtually all American prisons [...] To be electrocuted is to burn, to fry or to squat.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 206/1: Squat. To execute in the electric chair; to be electrocuted. ‘They’re squatting three ghees (criminals) tonight for that heist (holdup) knock-off (murder) in Harlem.’.

3. (US) to defecate.

1964		in E. Cray Erotic Muse (1992) 5: Better be sure before you squat / There’s nothing swimming in the chamberpot.
1982		S. King Different Seasons (1995) 398: I was gonna squat when we got across, anyway. I hadda take a squat, you know?

4. (US gang) to fight.

2001

(con. 1990s) in J. Miller One of the Guys 174: ‘She be ready to squat with ’em [...] she just our kickin’ it partner’.