lily-livered

English

Etymology

The first known use of lily-livered was in 1605. From the medieval belief that the liver was the seat of courage, and the pale color of the lily flower. A person who had no blood in their liver would have no courage and would thus be a coward. Equivalent to lily +‎ livered.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

lily-livered (comparative more lily-livered, superlative most lily-livered)

1. (idiomatic) Cowardly, lacking courage.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 291, column 2:

     Ste[ward]. What doſt thou know me for? / Kent. […] [A] Lilly-liuered, action-taking knave, […] one that would'ſt be a Baud in way of good ſeruice, and art nothing but the compoſition of a Knaue, Begger, Coward, Pandar, and the Sonne and Heire of a Mungrill Bitch, […]

   • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

     But as for that lily-livered sneak—that poor lyin' swindlin' cringin' cur of a Clavering—who stands in my shoes—stands in my shoes, hang him!

   • 2016, Pokémon Sun and Moon, Hapu to Lillie:

     Ho! Then you do your best, Lillie. No one could call you lily-livered!

Synonyms

• white-livered

Translations

cowardly — see also cowardly

• Bulgarian: страхлив (bg) (strahliv), малодушен (bg) (malodušen)
• Dutch: laf (nl), lafhartig (nl)
• French: poltron (fr)
• Russian: трусли́вый (ru) (truslívyj)
• Ukrainian: боягу́зливий (uk) (bojahúzlyvyj)