"coward" meaning in Middle English

See coward in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈkuːard/, /ˈkɔu̯ard/ Forms: couard [alternative], couward [alternative], cowart [alternative], cowerde [alternative], coword [alternative], cuward [alternative], kowarde [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde. Etymology templates: {{bor+|enm|fro|coart}} Borrowed from Old French coart, {{af|enm|coe|-ard|lang1=fro|t1=tail}} Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard Head templates: {{head|enm|adjective}} coward
  1. cowardly
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-adj-oIeF-W~0 Categories (other): Middle English terms suffixed with -ard, Fear Disambiguation of Middle English terms suffixed with -ard: 48 14 19 19 Disambiguation of Fear: 100 0 0 0 0
  2. (rare) stupid Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-adj-wtIUpITp
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1 Categories (other): People Disambiguation of People: 0 0 0 0 0

Noun

IPA: /ˈkuːard/, /ˈkɔu̯ard/ Forms: couard [alternative], couward [alternative], cowart [alternative], cowerde [alternative], coword [alternative], cuward [alternative], kowarde [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde. Etymology templates: {{bor+|enm|fro|coart}} Borrowed from Old French coart, {{af|enm|coe|-ard|lang1=fro|t1=tail}} Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard Head templates: {{head|enm|noun}} coward
  1. coward, knave
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-noun-NVN~4TsT
  2. (rare) idiot, simpleton Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-noun-dwRzhU3~
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: cowardie, cowardise, cowardly, cowardnesse
Etymology number: 1 Categories (other): People Disambiguation of People: 0 0 0 0 0

Noun

Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|var=1}} coward
  1. alternative form of cowherde Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: cowherde
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-noun-RDpEtsuj
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2 Categories (other): People Disambiguation of People: 0 0 0 0 0

Alternative forms

{
  "categories": [
    {
      "_dis": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "kind": "other",
      "langcode": "enm",
      "name": "People",
      "orig": "enm:People",
      "parents": [],
      "source": "w+disamb"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "coward"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "cooart"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "coort"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "coart"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French coart",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "coe",
        "3": "-ard",
        "lang1": "fro",
        "t1": "tail"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "couard",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "couward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cowart",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cowerde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coword",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cuward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kowarde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cowardie"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cowardise"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cowardly"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cowardnesse"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "coward, knave"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-noun-NVN~4TsT",
      "links": [
        [
          "coward",
          "coward#English"
        ],
        [
          "knave",
          "knave"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "idiot, simpleton"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-noun-dwRzhU3~",
      "links": [
        [
          "idiot",
          "idiot"
        ],
        [
          "simpleton",
          "simpleton"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) idiot, simpleton"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuːard/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɔu̯ard/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

{
  "categories": [
    {
      "_dis": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "kind": "other",
      "langcode": "enm",
      "name": "People",
      "orig": "enm:People",
      "parents": [],
      "source": "w+disamb"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "coward"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "coart"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French coart",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "coe",
        "3": "-ard",
        "lang1": "fro",
        "t1": "tail"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "couard",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "couward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cowart",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cowerde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coword",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cuward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kowarde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "48 14 19 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "100 0 0 0 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Fear",
          "orig": "enm:Fear",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "cowardly"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-adj-oIeF-W~0",
      "links": [
        [
          "cowardly",
          "cowardly"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "stupid"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-adj-wtIUpITp",
      "links": [
        [
          "stupid",
          "stupid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) stupid"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuːard/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɔu̯ard/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

{
  "categories": [
    {
      "_dis": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "kind": "other",
      "langcode": "enm",
      "name": "People",
      "orig": "enm:People",
      "parents": [],
      "source": "w+disamb"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "var": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "cowherde"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of cowherde"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-noun-RDpEtsuj",
      "links": [
        [
          "cowherde",
          "cowherde#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
    "Middle English variant lemmas",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Fear",
    "enm:People"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "coward"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "cooart"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "coort"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "coart"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French coart",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "coe",
        "3": "-ard",
        "lang1": "fro",
        "t1": "tail"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "couard",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "couward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cowart",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cowerde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coword",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cuward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kowarde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "cowardie"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowardise"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowardly"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowardnesse"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "coward, knave"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "coward",
          "coward#English"
        ],
        [
          "knave",
          "knave"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "idiot, simpleton"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "idiot",
          "idiot"
        ],
        [
          "simpleton",
          "simpleton"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) idiot, simpleton"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuːard/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɔu̯ard/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
    "Middle English variant lemmas",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Fear",
    "enm:People"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "coward"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "coart"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French coart",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "coe",
        "3": "-ard",
        "lang1": "fro",
        "t1": "tail"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "couard",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "couward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cowart",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cowerde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coword",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cuward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kowarde",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "cowardly"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cowardly",
          "cowardly"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "stupid"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "stupid",
          "stupid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) stupid"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuːard/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɔu̯ard/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English variant lemmas",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Fear",
    "enm:People"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "var": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "cowherde"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "alternative form of cowherde"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cowherde",
          "cowherde#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

Download raw JSONL data for coward meaning in Middle English (4.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-16 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.