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Coward vs Caitiff - What's the difference?

coward | caitiff |

As nouns the difference between coward and caitiff

is that coward is a person who lacks courage while caitiff is a base or despicable person; a wretch.

As adjectives the difference between coward and caitiff

is that coward is cowardly while caitiff is especially despicable; cowardly.

coward

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person who lacks courage.
  • * 1856 : (Gustave Flaubert), (Madame Bovary), Part II Chapter IV, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling
    • He tortured himself to find out how he could make his declaration to her, and always halting between the fear of displeasing her and the shame of being such a coward , he wept with discouragement and desire. Then he took energetic resolutions, wrote letters that he tore up, put it off to times that he again deferred.

    Synonyms

    * chicken * See also

    Derived terms

    * cowardly * cowardice

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Cowardly.
  • *, II.17:
  • *:It is a coward and servile humour, for a man to disguise and hide himselfe under a maske, and not dare to shew himselfe as he is.
  • * Shakespeare
    • He raised the house with loud and coward cries.
  • * Prior
    • Invading fears repel my coward joy.
  • (heraldry, of a lion) Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs.
    • English words suffixed with -ard

    caitiff

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A base or despicable person; a wretch
  • (obsolete) a captive or prisoner, particularly a galley slave
  • (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

    (en adjective)
  • Especially despicable; cowardly
  • * 1809 , ,
    • Beshrew those caitiff scouts that conspired to sully his honest name by such an imputation!
  • * 1867 , ,
    • Commingled are they with that caitiff choir
  • *:: Of Angels, who have not rebellious been,
  • *:: Nor faithful were to God, but were for self.
  • * 1875 , ,
    • 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?