cower
/ˈkaʊɚ/ verb C2- To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear. · 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.
- To cause to cower; to frighten into submission.
- To be a coward; to hide away or refuse to face opposition due to fear.
He/she/it cowers · Past cowered · Past participle cowered · -ing form cowering
Verb forms
- Base form
- cower
- He/she/it
- cowers
- Past
- cowered
- Past participle
- cowered
- -ing form
- cowering
From the library
Mowgli thrust his dead branch into the fire till the twigs lit and crackled, and whirled it above his head among the cowering wolves.
Then Kaa opened his mouth for the first time and spoke one long hissing word, and the far-away monkeys, hurrying to the defense of the Cold Lairs, stayed where they were, cowering, till the loaded branches bent and crackled under them.
Darzee and his wife only cowered down in the nest without answering, for from the thick grass at the foot of the bush there came a low hiss--a horrid cold sound that made Rikki-tikki jump back two clear feet.
Anne cowered deeper into her pillows as if desirous of hiding herself forever from mortal eyes.
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