What does "craven" mean?
Craven: Cowardly; fainthearted; spiritless. "His craven heart." Shak. The poor craven bridegroom said never a word. Sir. W. Scott. In craven fear of the sarcasm of Dorset. Macualay.
Additional senses
- 2.A recreant; a coward; a weak-hearted, spiritless fellow. See Recreant, n. King Henry. Is it fit this soldier keep his oath Fluellen.He is a craven and a villain else. Shak.
- 3.To make recreant, weak, spiritless, or cowardly. [Obs.] There is a prohibition so divine, That cravens my weak hand. Shak.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00