cower — to crouch down in fear
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to crouch down in fear
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈkaʊər/
Example Sentences
- The cat cowered under the bed when the vacuum cleaner started.
- Even the brave superhero cowered before his angry mother.
- The students cowered when the strict teacher entered the classroom.
cower
VERB[/ˈkaʊər/]
to crouch down in fear
The stray dog cowers under the table during the loud thunderstorm.
COW(cow) + ER(emergency room) — seeing the giant needle in the ER, the sick COW began to violently cower on the hospital bed.
Faced with the angry king's absolute power, the poor servant could only cower on the cold stone floor.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle English 'couren' or 'curen', likely derived from Old Norse 'kúra' meaning 'to crouch' or 'to cover'. The word entered English through Scandinavian influence during the medieval period.
Breakdown
cow- (crouch down) + -er (one who does the action) = cower (one who crouches in fear)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The cat cowered under the bed when the vacuum cleaner started.”
“Even the brave superhero cowered before his angry mother.”
“The students cowered when the strict teacher entered the classroom.”
“My tough-guy friend cowered like a baby when he saw a tiny spider.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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