Cowage
(Cow"age) n. (Bot.) See Cowhage.
Cowan
(Cow"an) n. [Cf. OF. couillon a coward, a cullion.] One who works as a mason without having
served a regular apprenticeship. [Scot.] Among Freemasons, it is a cant term for pretender, interloper.
Coward
(Cow"ard) 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.
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.
Coward
(Cow"ard), v. t. To make timorous; to frighten. [Obs.]
That which cowardeth a man's heart.
Foxe.
Cowardice
(Cow"ard*ice) n. [F. couardise, fr. couard. See Coward.] Want of courage to face danger; extreme
timidity; pusillanimity; base fear of danger or hurt; lack of spirit.
The cowardice of doing wrong.
Milton.
Moderation was despised as cowardice.
Macaulay.
Cowardie
(Cow"ard*ie) n. [OF. couardie.] Cowardice. [Obs.]
Cowardish
(Cow"ard*ish), a. Cowardly. [Obs.] "A base and a cowardish mind." Robynson
Cowardize
(Cow"ard*ize) v. t. To render cowardly. [Obs.]
God . . . cowardizeth . . . insolent spirits.
Bp. Hall.
Cowardliness
(Cow"ard*li*ness) n. Cowardice.
Cowardly
(Cow"ard*ly), a.
1. Wanting courage; basely or weakly timid or fearful; pusillanimous; spiritless.
The cowardly rascals that ran from the battle.
Shak.
2. Proceeding from fear of danger or other consequences; befitting a coward; dastardly; base; as, cowardly
malignity. Macaulay.
The cowardly rashness of those who dare not look danger in the face.
Burke.