poltroon
[pol-troon]
- a wretched coward; craven.
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- marked by utter cowardice.
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Origin of poltroon
1520–30; earlier pultrowne, pultron, poultroone < Middle French poultron < Old Italian poltrone idler, coward, derivative of poltro foal < Vulgar Latin *pulliter, derivative of Latin pullus young animal; see foal
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com1. dastard.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for poltroon
Historical Examples
He was certainly no poltroon, but he felt that she was right.
"I am not a poltroon though," he said to himself as he finished dressing.
Therese RaquinEmile Zola
He had slipped away like the poltroon that he was, leaving Peter to his fate.
The Vagrant DukeGeorge Gibbs
This is the charge which will always make the poltroon squirm.
Henry IV, Makers of HistoryJohn S. C. Abbott
If it was that poltroon, Ferdinand, I would have him thrown out by my lackeys.
Secret Memoirs: The Story of Louise, Crown PrincessHenry W. Fischer
poltroon
- an abject or contemptible coward
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- a rare word for cowardly
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Word Origin
C16: from Old French poultron, from Old Italian poltrone lazy good-for-nothing, apparently from poltrīre to lie indolently in bed, from poltro bed
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for poltroon
n.
"A coward; a nidgit; a scoundrel" [Johnson, who spells it poltron], 1520s, from Middle French poultron "rascal, coward" (16c., Modern French poltron), from Italian poltrone "lazy fellow, coward," apparently from *poltro "couch, bed" (cf. Milanese polter, Venetian poltrona "couch"), perhaps from a Germanic source (cf. Old High German polstar "pillow;" see bolster (n.)). Cf. also -oon.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper