poltroon

WOTD – 18 December 2009    

English

Etymology

From Middle French poltron, from Italian poltrone

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /pɒlˈtɹuːn/
• (US) IPA: /pɑlˈtɹun/

Noun

poltroon (plural poltroons)

1. An ignoble or total coward; a dastard; a mean-spirited wretch.
   • 1842, Nicholas Michell, The Traduced: An Historical Romance‎, page 266-267

     "To gain life by means of a breach of faith and honour, were indeed to render myself the poltroon, and the villain my accusers believe me."

Synonyms

• (ignoble coward): craven, dastard

Translations

an ignoble or arrant coward

• Danish: kryster (da) c, kujon (da) c
• Finnish: lusmu (fi)
• French: lâche (fr), pleutre (fr), couard (fr), dégonflé (fr), poule-mouillée (fr), couille molle (fr), poltron (fr)
• Italian: vigliacco (it)

• Polish: tchórz (pl)
• Russian: трус (ru) m (trus)
• Spanish: cobarde (es) m and f, mandria (es), blanco (es), blandengue (es), pendejo (es), rajado (es), gallina (es)

Adjective

poltroon (comparative more poltroon, superlative most poltroon)

1. Cowardly.
   • 1926, T. E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom

     Accordingly, to excuse our deliberate inactivity in the north, we had to make a show of impotence, which gave them to understand that the Arabs were too poltroon to cut the line near Maan and keep it cut.

Translations

cowardly — see cowardly

References

• poltroon in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913