cower

present singular third person cowers · participle present cowering · participle past cowered · past cowered

1. intransitiveTo crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear.

   He'd be useless in war. He'd just cower in his bunker until the enemy came in and shot him, or until the war was over.

   2 more examples

   Our dame sits cowering o'er a kitchen fire.

   1700, John Dryden, "The Cock and the Fox", in Fables, Ancient and Modern, published March 1700

   Carrot ran past him to get to the barrel first, and peered down at the cowering Catweazle. “No rats, Dad,” he said. “What's that terrible pong, then?” said Mr Bennett, sniffing.

   1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 21

2. archaicintransitiveTo crouch in general.

   Some sterner virtues o’er the mountain’s breast May sit, like falcons, cowering on the nest

   1764, Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller

   1 more example

   The mother bird had mov’d not, But cowering o’er her nestlings, Sate confident and fearless, And watch’d the wonted guest.

   1801, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC

3. transitiveTo cause to cower; to frighten into submission.

   A vicious Mafia threat intended to cower him—but the chief doesn't cower.

   2010, Marilyn Brown Oden, The Dead Saint

   2 more examples

   This done, their doubts will vanish, and they will stand confronted by an object lesson which must have the effect either to arouse them to a determination to banish despotism from the land, or cower them into submission and servitude.

   1895, Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Industry of Kansas

   My spirit will cower them and make them wish they had never risen up against me.

   2007, DJ Birmingham, The Queen's Tale: The Struggle for the Survival of Ireland, page 170

4. figurativelyintransitiveTo be a coward; to hide away or refuse to face opposition due to fear.

present singular third person cowers · participle present cowering · participle past cowered · past cowered

1. obsoletetransitiveTo cherish with care.