timidity

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

timid (ˈtɪmɪd)

—*adj*
1.	easily frightened or upset, esp by human contact; shy
2.	indicating shyness or fear

[C16: from Latin timidus, from timēre to fear]

ti'midity

—n

'timidness

—n

'timidly

—*adv*

timid (ˈtɪmɪd)

—*adj*
1.	easily frightened or upset, esp by human contact; shy
2.	indicating shyness or fear

[C16: from Latin timidus, from timēre to fear]

ti'midity

—n

'timidness

—n

'timidly

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

timid

1549, from M.Fr. timide "easily frightened, shy," from L. timidus "fearful," from timere "to fear."

Example sentences

The biggest problem is timidity, lack of political will, fear of losing the

next election for speaking truth.

The government's willingness to experiment with localism is welcome, but its

timidity may doom the experiment.

No surprise there, really, but disappointing in its timidity.

But there's no timidity in how energy research is defined.

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mealy-mouthed old-womanish timid

Matching Quote

"There are two kinds of timidity—timidity of mind, and timidity of the nerves; physical timidity, and moral timidity. Each is independent of the other. The body may be frightened and quake while the mind remains calm and bold, and vice versë. This is the key to many eccentricities of conduct. When both kinds meet in the same man he will be good for nothing all his life."

-Honoré De Balzac