craven
Use Craven in a sentence
vən adjective
1.
cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous.
noun
2.
a coward.
verb (used with object)
Idioms 3.
to make cowardly.
4.
cry craven, to yield; capitulate; give up.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English cravant, cravaunde defeated < Old French craventé, past participle of cravanter to crush, overwhelm (< Vulgar Latin *crepantāre), influenced by Middle English creaunt defeated (see recreant)
1175–1225; Middle English cravant, cravaunde defeated < Old French craventé, past participle of cravanter to crush, overwhelm (< Vulgar Latin *crepantāre), influenced by Middle English creaunt defeated (see recreant)
Related forms
cra·ven·ly, adverb
cra·ven·ness, noun
un·cra·ven, adjective
Synonyms
1. dastardly, fearful, timorous.
1. dastardly, fearful, timorous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To craven
Collins
World English Dictionary
craven (ˈkreɪvən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | cowardly; mean-spirited |
| —n | |
| 2. | a coward |
| [C13 cravant, probably from Old French crevant bursting, from crever to burst, die, from Latin crepāre to burst, crack] | |
| 'cravenly | |
| —adv | |
| 'cravenness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Craven
is a GRE word you need to know.
So is gainsay. Does it mean:
| to deny, dispute, or contradict; to speak or act against; oppose |
| a strict disciplinarian, esp. a military one. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
craven
early 13c., perhaps from O.Fr. cravante "defeated," pp. of cravanter, from L. crepare "to crack, creak." Sense affected by crave and moved from "defeated" to "cowardly" (1580s) perhaps via intermediary sense of "confess oneself defeated."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
The bad guys are represented by a craven businessman and a scarred ex-Marine.
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