First published 1893; not yet revised
cowerverb
Factsheet
What does the verb cower mean?
There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb cower. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the verb cower?
About 0.8occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.093 |
| 1760 | 0.1 |
| 1770 | 0.098 |
| 1780 | 0.12 |
| 1790 | 0.15 |
| 1800 | 0.2 |
| 1810 | 0.3 |
| 1820 | 0.43 |
| 1830 | 0.59 |
| 1840 | 0.79 |
| 1850 | 0.94 |
| 1860 | 1.1 |
| 1870 | 1.2 |
| 1880 | 1.2 |
| 1890 | 1.2 |
| 1900 | 1.2 |
| 1910 | 1.1 |
| 1920 | 1.0 |
| 1930 | 0.9 |
| 1940 | 0.79 |
| 1950 | 0.71 |
| 1960 | 0.65 |
| 1970 | 0.66 |
| 1980 | 0.75 |
| 1990 | 0.85 |
| 2000 | 0.91 |
| 2010 | 0.99 |
How is the verb cower pronounced?
British English
/kaʊə/
Where does the verb cower come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the verb cower is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for cower is from around 1300, in Kyng Alisaunder.
cower is perhaps a borrowing from Norse.
Nearby entries
- cow-down, n.1724–
- cowdrife, n.a1400–
- cow-dung, n.1626–
- cow-dung bob, n.1828–
- cow-dung fly, n.1787–
- cowdy, n.1691–1825
- cowe, n.¹1786–
- cowe, n.²1670
- cowe, n.³c1230–1575
- cowed, adj.a1745–
- cower, v.c1300–
- cowering, adj.c1430–
- coweringly, adv.1821–
- cow-fat, n.1597
- cow-feeder, n.1805–
- cow-fish, n.1634–
- cow-flop, n.1846–
- cow-gang, n.1583
- cow-gate | cow-gait, n.1597–
- cowgirl, n.1753–
- cowgirl boot, n.1925–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for cower, v.
cower, v. was first published in 1893; not yet revised.
cower, v. was last modified in July 2023.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into cower, v. in July 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1893)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for cower, v.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- cow-down, n.1724–
- cowdrife, n.a1400–
- cow-dung, n.1626–
- cow-dung bob, n.1828–
- cow-dung fly, n.1787–
- cowdy, n.1691–1825
- cowe, n.¹1786–
- cowe, n.²1670
- cowe, n.³c1230–1575
- cowed, adj.a1745–
- cower, v.c1300–
- cowering, adj.c1430–
- coweringly, adv.1821–
- cow-fat, n.1597
- cow-feeder, n.1805–
- cow-fish, n.1634–
- cow-flop, n.1846–
- cow-gang, n.1583
- cow-gate | cow-gait, n.1597–
- cowgirl, n.1753–
- cowgirl boot, n.1925–
