From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
craven
adj 1: lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful;
"the craven fellow turned and ran"; "a craven proposal to
raise the white flag"; "this recreant knight"- Spenser
[syn: craven, recreant]
n 1: an abject coward [syn: poltroon, craven, recreant]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Craven \Cra"ven\ (kr?"v'n), a. [OE. cravant, cravaunde, OF.
cravant? struck down, p. p. of cravanter, crevanter, to
break, crush, strike down, fr. an assumed LL. crepantare, fr.
L. crepans, p. pr. of crepare to break, crack, rattle. Cf.
Crevice, Crepitate.]
Cowardly; fainthearted; spiritless. "His craven heart."
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
The poor craven bridegroom said never a word. --Sir. W.
Scott.
[1913 Webster]
In craven fear of the sarcasm of Dorset. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Craven \Cra"ven\, n. [Formerly written also cravant and
cravent.]
A recreant; a coward; a weak-hearted, spiritless fellow. See
Recreant, n.
[1913 Webster]
King Henry. Is it fit this soldier keep his oath?
Fluellen. He is a craven and a villain else. --Shak.
Syn: Coward; poltroon; dastard.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Craven \Cra"ven\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cravened (-v'nd); p. pr.
& vb. n. Cravening.]
To make recreant, weak, spiritless, or cowardly. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
There is a prohibition so divine,
That cravens my weak hand. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]