cowardise

English

Noun

cowardise (uncountable)

1. Obsolete spelling of cowardice
   • 1594, Thomas Nash, The Vnfortunate Traveller, or The Life Of Jack Wilton‎^[1]:

     The word, Tu mihi criminis author (alluding to his Princes commaund) thou art the occasion of my imputed cowardise.

   • 1566, William Adlington, The Golden Asse‎^[2]:

     The next day how my master the Gardener sped, I knew not, but the gentle souldier, who was well beaten for his cowardise, lead me to his lodging without the contradiction of any man: Where hee laded me well, and garnished my body (as seemed to me) like an Asse of armes.

Anagrams

• discowear

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cowardyse, cowardysse, cowerdyse, kowardyse, kouwardise

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman cuardise; equivalent to coward +‎ -ise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌkuːarˈdiːs(ə)/

Noun

cowardise (uncountable)

1. cowardice, cowardliness
2. laziness, foolishness

Descendants

• English: cowardice

References

• “cǒuardīse, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.