Poltroon

Word of the Day for Tuesday, November 22, 2011

poltroon \pol-TROON\, noun:

1. A wretched coward; craven.

adjective:
1. Marked by utter cowardice.

By heavens, if, under the circumstances of the provocation which you gave him, and his whole family, he would be as mean and cowardly a poltroon as I find you be...”
-- William Carleton, Valentine M'Cultchy, the Irish Agent

“Poltroon, my dear, poltroon!” Moloch put in. “He has no sense of decency, no respect—for me, or for anything. He's a vulgar, coarse fool.”
-- Henry Miller, Moloch

Poltroon originally came from the Latin pullus meaning “young animal.” It came to mean an idler or coward in Old French.

With thanks to: http://www.dictionary.com/