Definitions for coward
ˈkaʊ ərdcow·ard

Princeton's WordNet(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. cowardnoun

   a person who shows fear or timidity

2. Coward, Noel Coward, Sir Noel Pierce Cowardnoun

   English dramatist and actor and composer noted for his witty and sophisticated comedies (1899-1973)

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. cowardnoun

   A person who lacks courage.

2. cowardadjective

   Cowardly.

3. Etymology: From coart, cuard (> French couard), from coe + -ard; is in turn from cauda. The reference seems to be to an animal “turning tail”, or having its tail between its legs, especially a dog.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. COWARDnoun

   Etymology: couard, Fr. of uncertain derivation.

   1. A poltron; a wretch whose predominant passion is fear.

   Pyrocles did such wonders, beyond belief, as was able to lead Musidorus to courage, though he had been born a coward. Philip Sidney, b. ii.

   There was a soldier that vaunted, before Julius Cæsar, of the hurts he had received in his face. Cæsar knowing him to be but a coward, told him, You were best take heed, next time you run away, how you look back Francis Bacon, Apophth. 188.

   Some are brave one day, and cowards another, as great captains have often told me, from their own experience and observation. William Temple.

   A coward does not always escape with disgrace, but sometimes also he loses his life. South.

   What can ennoble sots, and slaves, and cowards?
   Alas! not all the blood of all the Howards. Alexander Pope.

   Tremble ye not, Oh friends! and cowards fly,
   Doom’d by the stern Telemachus to die! Alexander Pope, Odyssey.

   2. It is sometimes used in the manner of an adjective.

   Having more man than wit about me, I drew;
   And rais’d the house with loud and coward cries William Shakespeare.

   Invading fears repel my coward joy,
   And ills foreseen the present bliss destroy. Matthew Prior.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Cowardadjective

   borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs; -- said of a lion

2. Cowardadjective

   destitute of courage; timid; cowardly

3. Cowardadjective

   belonging to a coward; proceeding from, or expressive of, base fear or timidity

4. Cowardnoun

   a person who lacks courage; a timid or pusillanimous person; a poltroon

5. Cowardverb

   to make timorous; to frighten

6. Etymology: [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.]

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Coward

   Coward is a town in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 650 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Coward

   kow′ard, n. a faint-hearted person: one without courage.—v.t. to intimidate.—adjs. Cow′ard, Cow′ardly, afraid of danger: timid: mean.—ns. Cow′ardice, want of courage: timidity.—Cow′ardree (Spens.); Cow′ardliness.—adv. Cow′ardly.—n. Cow′ardship (Shak.), the quality of being a coward. [O. Fr. couard (It. codardo)—L. cauda, a tail.]

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. coward

   Song lyrics by coward -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by coward on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Actor
   • Dramatist
   • Person

How to pronounce coward?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say coward in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of coward in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of coward in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of coward in a Sentence

1. Warren Zevon:

   There's nothing romantic, nothing grand, nothing heroic, nothing brave, nothing like that about drinking. It's a real coward's death.

2. Polk County:

   That’s right, he didn’t want to die. He consciously and intentionally decided, he was an absolute coward. He looks like a man but he’s not a man, he’s a sniveling coward. He was a big bad dude when he had different firearms and shot and murdered a grandmother.

3. Police Chief Randy Richardson:

   Please remember the man, yes, he was a police officer, but he was a human being. His five-month old he will never hear talk, he will never see his son walk... because a coward took his life.

4. Hosea Ballou:

   Hatred is self-punishment. Hatred it the coward's revenge for being intimidated.

5. Horace Smith:

   Courage is the fear of being thought a coward.

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