cower
Meaning
- (intransitive) To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear.
- (archaic, intransitive) To crouch in general.
- (transitive) To cause to cower; to frighten into submission.
- (figuratively, intransitive) To be a coward; to hide away or refuse to face opposition due to fear.
Synonyms
be bent
huddle up
be cramped
Translations
kauern
se tapir
agacharse
in elkaar duiken être accroupi
abbassarsi
زحف faire se courber faire frémir
ζαρώνωFrequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈkaʊɚ/
Etymology
In summary
From Middle English couren, cowre, from Middle Low German kûren (“to lie in wait; linger”) or from North Germanic (Icelandic kúra (“to doze”)); according to Pokorny, all are ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to curve, bend”), see also Proto-Germanic *kuddô (“shell, pod”). Cognate with German kauern (“to squat”), Dutch koeren (“to keep watch (in a cowered position)”), Serbo-Croatian kutriti (“to lie in a bent position”), Swedish kura (“huddle, cower”). Unrelated to coward, which is of Latin origin.
Notes
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