# coward

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkaʊəd/ · frequency rank #11,675

## Definitions
1. A person who lacks courage.

## Etymology
From Middle English coward, from Old French coart, cuard ( > French couard), from coue (“tail”), coe + -ard (pejorative agent noun suffix); coue, coe is in turn from Latin cauda.
The reference seems to be to an animal "turning tail", or having its tail between its legs, especially a dog. Compare the expression tail between one's legs. Displaced native Old English earg (surviving in northern dialect English argh).
Unrelated to cower, which is of Germanic origin.

## Easily confused with
- **cower** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coward-vs-cower)
- **cowardly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coward-vs-cowardly)
- **card** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/card-vs-coward)
- **cord** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cord-vs-coward)
- **cowan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowan-vs-coward)
- **chard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chard-vs-coward)
- **collard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/collard-vs-coward)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ccoward`, `coawrd`, `cowadr`, `cowardd`, `cowarrd`, `cowrad`, `cowward`, `cwoard`, `ocward`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/coward