cow

n. [ See Cowl a hood. ] A chimney cap; a cowl [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Cows (kouz); old pl. Kine [ OE. cu, cou, AS. cū; akin to D. koe, G. kuh, OHG. kuo, Icel. k&ymacr_;r, Dan. & Sw. ko, L. bos ox, cow, Gr. boy^s, Skr. gō. √223. Cf. Beef, Bovine, Bucolic, Butter, Nylghau. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The mature female of bovine animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The female of certain large mammals, as whales, seals, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. from same root as cow, v. t. ] (Mining) A wedge, or brake, to check the motion of a machine or car; a chock. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) See Cowhage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A phantasmic or “astral” body deemed to be separable from the physical body and capable of acting independently; a doppelgänger. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Cf. OF. couillon a coward, a cullion. ] One who works as a mason without having served a regular apprenticeship. [ Scot. ] Among Freemasons, it is a cant term for pretender, interloper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person who lacks courage; a timid or pusillanimous person; a poltroon. [ 1913 Webster ]

A fool is nauseous, but a coward worse. Dryden.

Syn. -- Craven; poltroon; dastard. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OF. couard, coard, coart, n. and adj., F. couard, fr. OF. coe, coue, tail, F. queue (fr. L. coda, a form of cauda tail) + -ard; orig., short-tailed, as an epithet of the hare, or perh., turning tail, like a scared dog. Cf. Cue, Queue, Caudal. ] 1. (Her.) Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs; -- said of a lion. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Destitute of courage; timid; cowardly. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fie, coward woman, and soft-hearted wretch. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Belonging to a coward; proceeding from, or expressive of, base fear or timidity. [ 1913 Webster ]

He raised the house with loud and coward cries. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Invading fears repel my coward joy. Proir. [ 1913 Webster ]