Dictionary

poltroonery en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree English poltroon Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -ārius Old French -ier Latin -ia Old French -ie Old French -eriebor. Middle English -erie English -ery English poltroonery From poltroon + -ery.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Cowardice; lack of spirit; pusillanimity.
   • Genius, Poet: do we know what these words mean? […] Nature’s own sacred voice heard once more athwart the dreary boundless element of hearsaying and canting, of twaddle and poltroonery, in which the bewildered Earth, nigh perishing, has lost its way. 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. IX, Abbot Samson”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):
   • “Your Majesty, your Majesty,” he said, “are you going to tolerate this mutiny, this poltroonery? This is a panic, this is a rout.” 1952, C. S. Lewis, chapter 12, in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Collins, published 1998:

Forms