Part 620

2. Deceit; fraud; artifice. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Cov"in*ous (k?v"?n-?s), a. (Law) Deceitful; collusive; fraudulent; dishonest.

Cow (kou), n. [See Cowl a hood.] A chimney cap; a cowl

Cow, n.; pl. Cows (kouz); old pl. Kine (kīn). [OE. cu, cou, AS. cū; akin to D. koe, G. kuh, OHG. kuo, Icel. k&ymacr;r, Dan. & Sw. ko, L. bos ox, cow, Gr. boy^s, Skr. gō. √223. Cf. Beef, Bovine, Bucolic, Butter, Nylghau.]

1. The mature female of bovine animals.

2. The female of certain large mammals, as whales, seals, etc.

Cow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cowed (koud);; p. pr. & vb. n. Cowing.] [Cf. Icel. kuga, Sw. kufva to check, subdue, Dan. kue. Cf. Cuff, v. t.] To depress with fear; to daunt the spirits or courage of; to overawe.

To vanquish a people already cowed. Shak.

THe French king was cowed. J. R. Green.

Cow, n. [Prob. from same root as cow, v. t.] (Mining) A wedge, or brake, to check the motion of a machine or car; a chock. Knight.

Cow"age (kou"&asl;j), n. (Bot.) See Cowhage.

Cow"an (kou"an), n. [Cf. OF. couillon a coward, a cullion.] One who works as a mason without having served a regular apprenticeship. [Scot.] Among Freemasons, it is a cant term for pretender, interloper.

Cow"ard (kou"?rd), a. [OF. couard, coard, coart, n. and adj., F. couard, fr. OF. coe, coue, tail, F. queue (fr. L. coda, a form of cauda tail) + -ard; orig., short-tailed, as an epithet of the hare, or perh., turning tail, like a scared dog. Cf. Cue, Queue, Caudal.] 1. (Her.) Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs; -- said of a lion.

2. Destitute of courage; timid; cowardly.

Fie, coward woman, and soft-hearted wretch. Shak.

3. Belonging to a coward; proceeding from, or expressive of, base fear or timidity.

He raised the house with loud and coward cries. Shak.

Invading fears repel my coward joy. Proir.

Cow"ard, n. A person who lacks courage; a timid or pusillanimous person; a poltroon.

A fool is nauseous, but a coward worse. Dryden.

Syn. -- Craven; poltroon; dastard.

Cow"ard, v. t. To make timorous; to frighten. [Obs.]

That which cowardeth a man's heart. Foxe.

Cow"ard*ice (-&ibreve;s), n. [F. couardise, fr. couard. See Coward.] Want of courage to face danger; extreme timidity; pusillanimity; base fear of danger or hurt; lack of spirit.

The cowardice of doing wrong. Milton.

Moderation was despised as cowardice. Macaulay.

Cow"ard*ie (kou"&etilde;rd*&ybreve;), n. [OF. couardie.] Cowardice. [Obs.]

Cow"ard*ish, a. Cowardly. [Obs.] "A base and a cowardish mind." Robynson (More's Utopia).