About The Word Caitiff
Learn about the word Caitiff to help solve your crossword puzzle. Discover Caitiff definitions and meaning, origins, synonyms, related terms and more at the free Crossword Dictionary.
Caitiff
| Caitiff Definition And Meaning |
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What's The Definition Of Caitiff?
[n] (archaic) a cowardly and despicable person
[adj] despicably mean and cowardly Synonyms | Synonyms for Caitiff: coward(a) | cowardly | fearful Related Terms | Find terms related to Caitiff: See Also | cur Caitiff In Webster's Dictionary \Cai"tiff\, a. [OE. caitif, cheitif, captive, miserable,
OF. caitif, chaitif, captive, mean, wretched, F. ch['e]tif,
fr. L. captivus captive, fr. capere to take, akin to E.
heave. See {Heave}, and cf. {Captive}.]
1. Captive; wretched; unfortunate. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
2. Base; wicked and mean; cowardly; despicable.
Arnold had sped his caitiff flight. --W. Irving.
\Cai"tiff\, n. A captive; a prisoner. [Obs.] Avarice doth tyrannize over her caitiff and slave. --Holland. 2. A wretched or unfortunate man. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 3. A mean, despicable person; one whose character meanness and wickedness meet. Note: The deep-felt conviction of men that slavery breaks down the moral character . . . speaks out with . . . distinctness in the change of meaning which caitiff has undergone signifying as it now does, one of a base, abject disposition, while there was a time when it had nothing of this in it. --Trench. |
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