Cower vs Coyer - What's the difference?
cower | coyer |
To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear.
* Dryden
* Goldsmith
(coy)
(dated) Bashful, shy, retiring.
(archaic) Quiet, reserved, modest.
Reluctant to give details about something sensitive; notably prudish.
Pretending shyness or modesty, especially in an insincere or flirtatious way.
Soft, gentle, hesitating.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) To caress, pet; to coax, entice.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) To calm or soothe.
To allure; to decoy.
* Bishop Rainbow
As a verb cower
is to crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear or cower can be (obsolete|transitive) to cherish with care.As an adjective coyer is
(coy).cower
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) kuren or from Scandinavian ((etyl) . Unrelated to coward, which is of Latin origin.Verb
(en verb)- He'd be useless in war. He'd just cower in his bunker until the enemy came in and shot him, or until the war was over.
- Our dame sits cowering o'er a kitchen fire.
- Like falcons, cowering on the nest.
See also
* coward * cowardiceEtymology 2
coyer
English
Adjective
(head)Anagrams
* * ----coy
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) coi, earlier .Adjective
(er)- Enforced hate, / Instead of love's coy touch, shall rudely tear thee.
Derived terms
* coyly * coynessVerb
(en verb)- Come sit thee down upon this flowery bed, / While I thy amiable cheeks do coy .
- A wiser generation, who have the art to coy the fonder sort into their nets.
