craven

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: cra=ven

CIDE DICTIONARY

craven, a. [OE. cravant, cravaunde, OF. cravant struck down, p. p. of cravanter, crevanter, to break, crush, strike down, fr. an assumed LL. crepantare, fr. L. crepans, p. pr. of crepare to break, crack, rattle. Cf. Crevice, Crepitate.].

 Cowardly; fainthearted; spiritless.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
"The poor craven bridegroom said never a word."  [1913 Webster]
"In craven fear of the sarcasm of Dorset."  [1913 Webster]

craven, n. [Formerly written also cravant and cravent.].

 A recreant; a coward; a weak-hearted, spiritless fellow. See Recreant, n.  [1913 Webster]
"King Henry. Is it fit this soldier keep his oath?
Fluellen. He is a craven and a villain else."

Syn. -- Coward; poltroon; dastard.

craven, v. t. 

 To make recreant, weak, spiritless, or cowardly.  [1913 Webster]
"There is a prohibition so divine,
That cravens my weak hand."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

craven, adj. & n.
--adj. (of a person, behaviour, etc.) cowardly; abject.
--n. a cowardly person.

Derivative

cravenly adv. cravenness n.

Etymology

ME cravand etc. perh. f. OF cravant{eacute} defeated, past part. of cravanter ult. f. L crepare burst; assim. to -EN(3)

THESAURUS

craven

base, caitiff, chicken, coward, dastard, dastardly, dunghill, dunghilly, funk, funker, gutless, lily-livered, poltroon, poltroonish, pusillanimous, quitter, recreant, spunkless, unmanly

ROGET THESAURUS

craven

Submission

VB succumb, submit, yeild, bend, resign, defer to, lay down one's arms, deliver up one's arms, lower colors, haul down colors, strike one's flag, strike colors, surrender, surrender at discretion, cede, capitulate, come to terms, retreat, beat a retreat, draw in one's horns, give way, give round, give in, give up, cave in, suffer judgment by default, bend, bend to one's yoke, bend before the storm, reel back, bend down, knuckle down, knuckle to, knuckle under, knock under, eat dirt, eat the leek, eat humble pie, bite the dust, lick the dust, be at one's feet, fall at one's feet, craven, crouch before, throw oneself at the feet of, swallow the leek, swallow the pill, kiss the rod, turn the other cheek, avaler les couleuvres, gulp down, obey, kneel to, bow to, pay homage to, cringe to, truckle to, bend the neck, bend the knee, kneel, fall on one's knees, bow submission, courtesy, curtsy, kowtow, pocket the affront, make the best of, make a virtue of necessity, grin and abide, grin and bear it, shrug the shoulders, resign oneself, submit with a good grace.

Cowardice

N cowardice, pusillanimity, cowardliness, timidity, effeminacy, poltroonery, baseness, dastardness, dastardy, abject fear, funk, Dutch courage, fear, white feather, faint heart, cold feet, yellow streak, coward, poltroon, dastard, sneak, recreant, shy cock, dunghill cock, coistril, milksop, white liver, lily liver, nidget, one that cannot say 'boo' to a goose, slink, Bob Acres, Jerry Sneak, alarmist, terrorist, pessimist, runagate, coward, cowardly, fearful, shy, timid, timorous, skittish, poor- spirited, spiritless, soft, effeminate, weak-minded, infirm of purpose, weak-hearted, fainthearted, chickenhearted, henhearted, lilyhearted, pigeon-hearted, white- livered, lily-livered, milk-livered, milksop, smock-faced, unable to say 'boo' to a goose, dastard, dastardly, base, craven, sneaking, dunghill, recreant, unwarlike, unsoldier-like, in face a lion but in heart a deer, unmanned, frightened, Int, sauve qui peut!, every man for himself!, devil take the hindmost!, ante tubam trepidat, one's courage oozing out, degeneres animos timor arguit.