caitiff

English

Etymology

Old French caitif ‘captive’, a varient of chaitif (French chétif), from a Proto-Romance alteration of Latin captivus ‘captive’. Compare Italian cattivo, "bad, wicked."

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈkeɪtɪf/

Noun

caitiff (plural caitiffs)

1. A base or despicable person; a wretch
2. (obsolete) a captive or prisoner, particularly a galley slave
3. (archaic) a villain, a coward or wretch
   • Late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Knight's Tale", The Canterbury Tales

     For, certes, lord, þer is noon of us alle / Þat she ne haþ been a duchesse or a queene. / Now be we caytyves, as it is wel seene, / Þanked be Fortune and hire false wheel

   • 1989, Anthony Burgess, The Devil's Mode

     ‘There are plenty of Huns who have defected to the Romans, seeking gold and a quiet life. One of my first tasks as paramount chief is to bring those caitiffs back and crucify them.’

Adjective

caitiff (comparative more caitiff, superlative most caitiff)

1. Especially despicable; cowardly
   • 1809, Washington Irving, Knickerbocker's History of New York,

     Beshrew those caitiff scouts that conspired to sully his honest name by such an imputation!

   • 1867, Dante Alighieri, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (translator), The Divine Comedy,

     Commingled are they with that caitiff choir

     Of Angels, who have not rebellious been,

     Nor faithful were to God, but were for self.

   • 1875, Sidney Lanier, The Symphony,

     Is Honor gone into his grave?

     Hath Faith become a caitiff knave,

     And Selfhood turned into a slave

     To work in Mammon’s cave,

     Fair Lady?