Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Want of courage to face danger, difficulty, opposition, etc.; dread of exposure to harm or pain of any kind; fear of consequences; pusillanimity; dishonorable fear.
- noun Synonyms Poltroonery, dastardliness, cowardliness.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Want of courage to face danger; extreme timidity; pusillanimity; base fear of danger or hurt; lack of spirit.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Lack of
courage .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the trait of lacking courage
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Again, here at CENTCOM, for the past few days they have been criticizing Iraqi military for what they term cowardice on the battlefield.
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Thou hast been spellbound by an evil eye, my darling, and the fainting which you call cowardice is the work of magic.
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It was then openly proposed to withdraw Sherman; and John Hickman, of Pennsylvania, who had been elected as an anti-Lecompton Democrat, but had gone over to the Republicans, took the floor to resist what he characterized as cowardice and treachery.
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Excuse me, Balsquith; but that consideration is what we call cowardice in the army.
Press Cuttings George Bernard Shaw 1903
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"I believe that what you term your cowardice is merely a physical weakness," declared the girl.
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'Dear, do you wish me to help you against what you call your cowardice?
Born in Exile George Gissing 1880
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Schoolboys cannot understand that this shrinking from danger (I speak of palpable danger), which they call cowardice, nearly always emanates from a superior intellect.
The Channings Henry Wood 1850
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I have seen him, in Paris, commit what I call the cowardice of thought.
Beatrix 1839
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I have seen him, in Paris, commit what I call the cowardice of thought.
Beatrix Honor�� de Balzac 1824
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I can remember that I was both a coward and a boaster; but I have frequently remarked that the quality which we call cowardice in
Frank Mildmay Or, The Naval Officer Frederick Marryat 1820
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