Forms: 4–8 cowardise, 4–6 -yse, 4–5 -ys, (4 kowardyse, 5 cowartys(s, kouardise, 6 couuardeis), 6–7 cowardize, 7– cowardice. [a. OF. couardise (13th c. in Littré), f. couard COWARD sb. + -ise, suffix:—L. -itia: see -ICE. An earlier F. equivalent was couardie COWARDY; obsolete English synonyms are cowardness, cowardry, cowardship; see also cowardliness.]
The quality of a coward; cowardliness; want of courage to face danger; faint-heartedness, pusillanimity. Moral cowardice: ignoble fear of the disapprobation or hostile sentiments of others.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 3066. That day thou hadist heorte of pris: And now art ful of cowardys.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2273. Þou art not Gawayn … Such cowardise of þat knyȝt cowþe I neuer here.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 338. Fule-hardyment the formost is, And the tothyr is cowartyss.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xv. 56. Wrothe of the grete cowardyse of these bestes.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. vi. 24. To banish cowardize.
1607. Shaks., Timon, III. v. 16. He is a Man … of comely Vertues, Nor did he soyle the fact with Cowardice.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., XI. (1843), 660/1. It was imputed to his cowardice.
a. 1703. Burkitt, On N. T., Mark vi. 34. It is no cowardice to fly from the rage of persecutors.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 267. It is like all of the cat kind except the lion, remarkable for its cowardice.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 9. Demoralized by cowardice of heart and understanding.
b. with a and pl.
a. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 372. Among alle cowardisis, cowardise of richesse is þe moste.
1886. Tupper, My Life as Author, 92. But there is nothing like flight; it is easy and speedy, and more a courage than a cowardice.
† c. transf. Weakness (of wine). Obs. rare–1.
1673. Sir W. Scroggs, in Hatton Corr. (1878), 116. The cowardize of wine would turne it into vinegar.
