Adjacent Words

Coward definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COWARD, n. [L.]
1. A person who wants courage to meet danger; a poltroon; a timid or pusillanimous man.
A coward does not always escape with disgrace, but sometimes loses his life.
2. In heraldry, a term given to a lion borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs.
COWARD, a.
1. Destitute of courage; timid; base; as a coward wretch.
2. Proceeding from or expressive of fear, or timidity; as coward cry; coward joy.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a person who shows fear or timidity
2: English dramatist and actor and composer noted for his witty and sophisticated comedies (1899-1973) [syn: Coward, Noel Coward, Sir Noel Pierce Coward]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French cuard, from cue, coe tail, from Latin cauda Date: 13th century one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity • coward adjective

Merriam Webster's

biographical name Sir Noël Peirce 1899-1973 English actor & dramatist

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. a person who is easily frightened or intimidated by danger or pain. --adj. poet. easily frightened. Etymology: ME f. OF cuard, couard ult. f. L cauda tail

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Coward Cow"ard (kou"?rd), a. [OF. couard, coard, coart, n. and adj., F. couard, fr. OF. coe, coue, tail, F. queue (fr. L. coda, a form of cauda tail) + -ard; orig., short-tailed, as an epithet of the hare, or perh., turning tail, like a scared dog. Cf. Cue, Queue, Caudal.] 1. (Her.) Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs; -- said of a lion. 2. Destitute of courage; timid; cowardly. Fie, coward woman, and soft-hearted wretch. --Shak. 3. Belonging to a coward; proceeding from, or expressive of, base fear or timidity. He raised the house with loud and coward cries. --Shak. Invading fears repel my coward joy. --Proir.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Coward Cow"ard, n. A person who lacks courage; a timid or pusillanimous person; a poltroon. A fool is nauseous, but a coward worse. --Dryden. Syn: Craven; poltroon; dastard.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Coward Cow"ard, v. t. To make timorous; to frighten. [Obs.] That which cowardeth a man's heart. --Foxe.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(cowards) If you call someone a coward, you disapprove of them because they are easily frightened and avoid dangerous or difficult situations. She accused her husband of being a coward. N-COUNT [disapproval]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Dastard, poltroon, craven, recreant, milksop. II. a. See cowardly.

Moby Thesaurus

Milquetoast, Scaramouch, baby, big baby, caitiff, chicken, chicken liver, craven, dastard, fraid-cat, fraidy-cat, funk, funker, gutless, invertebrate, jellyfish, lily liver, lily-livered, milksop, mouse, poltroon, poltroonish, pusillanimous, quitter, recreant, scaredy-cat, sissy, spunkless, unmanly, weak sister, weakling, white feather, white liver