craven

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Unwilling to fight; lacking even the rudiments of courage; extremely cowardly.

   The poor craven bridegroom said never a word.

2. 2
   verb

   To make craven.

   There is a prohibition so divine / That cravens my weak hand.

From Middle English cravant, either borrowed from Old French cravanté (“defeated”), past participle of cravanter (ultimately from Latin crepare), or a modification of creaunt (“defeated”) after craven (“to crave”).

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