Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Cower
Cow′er
(kou′ẽr)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Cowered
(kou′ẽrd)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Cowering
.] [Cf. Icel.
kera
to doze, liequiet, Sw. kura
, Dan. kure
, G. kauern
to cower, W. cwrian
.] To stoop by bending the knees; to crouch; to squat; hence, to quail; to sink through fear.
Our dame sits
cowering
o’er a kitchen fire. Dryden.
Like falcons,
cowering
on the nest. Goldsmith.
Cow′er
(kou′ẽr)
, Verb.
T.
To cherish with care.
[Obs.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Cower
COWER
,Verb.
I.
Our dame wits cowering oer a kitchen fire.
COWER
,Verb.
T.
Definition 2025
cower
cower
English
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -aʊə(ɹ)
- Rhymes: -aʊ.ə(ɹ)
Verb
cower (third-person singular simple present cowers, present participle cowering, simple past and past participle cowered)
- (intransitive) To 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.
- Dryden
- Our dame sits cowering o'er a kitchen fire.
- Goldsmith
- Like falcons, cowering on the nest.
Translations
to crouch in fear
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See also
Etymology 2
Verb
cower (third-person singular simple present cowers, present participle cowering, simple past and past participle cowered)
- (obsolete, transitive) To cherish with care.