cowardice

From Middle English cowardise, from Anglo-Norman cuardise (modern French couardise).

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: kouʹərdĭs, IPA^(key): /ˈkaʊədɪs/

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkaʊɚdɪs/
• (dialectal) enPR: kouʹərdīs, IPA^(key): /ˈkaʊə(ɹ)daɪs/[1]

cowardice (countable and uncountable, plural cowardices)

1. Lack of courage.

   Synonyms: cowardliness, cowardness, cowardship

   Alternative form: cowardize (obsolete)

   • c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:

     The ſecond property of your excellent ſherris, is the vvarming of the blood, vvhich before (cold & ſetled) left the lyuer vvhite & pale, vvhich is the badge of puſilanimitie and covvardize: but the ſherris vvarmes it, and makes it courſe from the invvards to the partes extreames, […]

   • 2019 July 19, Noah Kulwin, “Democrats Fail the Left, Once Again”, in Jewish Currents‎:

     [Ilhan] Omar was left twisting in the wind earlier this year after facing spurious charges of antisemitism, a display of Democratic cowardice co-signed by Chelsea Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and most every other Democrat with a congressional leadership position.