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Vinony

coward

noun

  1. person who lacks courage
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Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈkaʊəd/ / /ˈkaʊɚd/ / /ˈkawə(ɾ)d/

adj

Etymology: From Middle English coward, from Old French coart, cuard ( > French couard), from coue (“tail”), coe + -ard (pejorative agent noun suffix); coue, coe is in turn from Latin cauda. The reference seems to be to an animal "turning tail", or having its tail between its legs, especially a dog. Compare the expression tail between one's legs. Displaced native Old English earg (surviving in northern dialect English argh). Unrelated to cower, which is of Germanic origin.

  1. Cowardly.

    “It is a coward and servile humour, for a man to disguise and hide himselfe under a maske, and not dare to shew himselfe as he is.”

    “c. 1605, William Shakespeare, King Lear, Act II, Scene 4, He rais’d the house with loud and coward cries.”

  2. Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs.

name

Etymology: From Old English cūhierde (“cowherd”). Doublet of Cowherd and cowherd.

  1. A surname originating as an occupation.

noun

Etymology: From Middle English coward, from Old French coart, cuard ( > French couard), from coue (“tail”), coe + -ard (pejorative agent noun suffix); coue, coe is in turn from Latin cauda. The reference seems to be to an animal "turning tail", or having its tail between its legs, especially a dog. Compare the expression tail between one's legs. Displaced native Old English earg (surviving in northern dialect English argh). Unrelated to cower, which is of Germanic origin.

  1. A person who lacks courage.

    “Near-synonyms: big baby, baby”

    “Cowards dye many times before their deaths, / The valiant neuer taſte of death but once: […]”

verb

Etymology: From Middle English coward, from Old French coart, cuard ( > French couard), from coue (“tail”), coe + -ard (pejorative agent noun suffix); coue, coe is in turn from Latin cauda. The reference seems to be to an animal "turning tail", or having its tail between its legs, especially a dog. Compare the expression tail between one's legs. Displaced native Old English earg (surviving in northern dialect English argh). Unrelated to cower, which is of Germanic origin.

  1. To intimidate.

    “The first he coped with was their captain, whom / His sword sent headless to seek out a tomb. / This cowarded the valour of the rest, […]”