Cowage to Coy

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.

  By PanEris using Melati.

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