niddering

[ nid-er-ing ]

/ ˈnɪd ər ɪŋ /

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noun Archaic.

a coward.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of niddering

First recorded in 1590–1600; variant of nidering, which is a variant of niding, from nithing, from Old Norse nídhingr “villain, scoundrel, apostate.” The form niddering arose from a misreading of the letter ð (pronounced eth or edh, representing the th-sounds of thin and then) as an abbreviation for der

Words nearby niddering

NICU, Nida, nidana, Nidaros, nidation, niddering, niddick, niddle-noddle, NIDDM, nide, nidge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use niddering in a sentence

A niddering who flies for his life at the first approach of danger is not fit to wield a sceptre in these lands.
The Last of the Vikings|John Bowling
"Let but a man stir towards me and this spear flies through thy heart, Niddering," cried Eric.
Eric Brighteyes|H. Rider Haggard
If so, I have been told both ways; in some visions, running like a niddering, in others standing firm as a pyramid.
Dariel|R. D. Blackmore
As to Mr. William Morris, he might be fabled to render Α δειλοί “niddering wights,” but beyond that, conjecture is baffled.
Essays in Little|Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for niddering

niddering

nidering

archaic

noun

a coward

adjective

cowardly

Word Origin for niddering

C16: a mistaken reading of Old English nithing coward; related to nīth malice

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