chicken-hearted

See also: chickenhearted

English

WOTD – 17 January 2012

Etymology

From chicken + hearted, after chicken heart. Compare hen-hearted.

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Adjective

chicken-hearted (comparative more chicken-hearted, superlative most chicken-hearted)

Not brave; lacking courage; cowardly. [from 17th c.]
- 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter 84, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume III, London: Harrison and Co., […], published 1781, →OCLC:
  This chicken-hearted couple, by the light of a rush-candle that burned on the hearth, seeing a stranger burst into the chamber, in such a terrible attitude, were seized with consternation […] .

Translations

lacking courage

Finnish: jänishousuinen
German: ängstlich (de), furchtsam (de)
Hungarian: nyúlszívű (hu), gyáva (hu)
Ido: poltrona (io)
Spanish: gallina (es)
Swedish: harhjärtad, feg (sv)

See also

Thesaurus:cowardly

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