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coward

[ kou-erd ]
/ ˈkaʊ ərd /
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noun
a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.
adjective
lacking courage; very fearful or timid.
proceeding from or expressive of fear or timidity: a coward cry.
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Origin of coward

1175–1225; Middle English <Old French couard-, couart cowardly, equivalent to coue tail (<Latin cauda) + -art-ard

Other definitions for coward (2 of 2)

Coward
[ kou-erd ]
/ ˈkaʊ ərd /

noun
Noel, 1899–1973, English playwright, author, actor, and composer.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use coward in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for coward (1 of 2)

coward
/ (ˈkaʊəd) /

noun
a person who shrinks from or avoids danger, pain, or difficulty

Word Origin for coward

C13: from Old French cuard, from coue tail, from Latin cauda; perhaps suggestive of a frightened animal with its tail between its legs

British Dictionary definitions for coward (2 of 2)

Coward
/ (ˈkaʊəd) /

noun
Sir Noël (Pierce). 1899–1973, English dramatist, actor, and composer, noted for his sophisticated comedies, which include Private Lives (1930) and Blithe Spirit (1941)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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