n. [ Prob. from Icel. dæstr exhausted. breathless, p. p. of dæsa to groan, lose one's breath; cf. dasask to become exhausted, and E. daze. ] One who meanly shrinks from danger; an arrant coward; a poltroon. [ 1913 Webster ]

You are all recreants and dashtards, and delight to live in slavery to the nobility. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Meanly shrinking from danger; cowardly; dastardly. “Their dastard souls.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To dastardize. [ R. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dastardized p. pr. & vb. n. Dastardizing. ] To make cowardly; to intimidate; to dispirit; as, to dastardize my courage. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being dastardly; cowardice; base fear. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Meanly timid; cowardly; base; as, a dastardly outrage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Dastardliness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Base timidity; cowardliness. [ 1913 Webster ]