cower

== English == === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊɚ/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊə/ Rhymes: -aʊ.ə(ɹ) === Etymology 1 === 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. ==== Verb ==== cower (third-person singular simple present cowers, present participle cowering, simple past and past participle cowered) (intransitive) To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear. 1700, John Dryden, "The Cock and the Fox", in Fables, Ancient and Modern, published March 1700: Our dame sits cowering o'er a kitchen fire. (intransitive, archaic) To crouch in general. (transitive) To cause to cower; to frighten into submission. (intransitive, figuratively) To be a coward; to hide away or refuse to face opposition due to fear. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ===== See also ===== coward cowardice ==== References ==== === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== cower (third-person singular simple present cowers, present participle cowering, simple past and past participle cowered) (obsolete, transitive) To cherish with care. === Anagrams === Crowe