Craven

a.	1.	Cowardly; fainthearted; spiritless. The poor craven bridegroom said never a word. - Sir. W. Scott. In craven fear of the sarcasm of Dorset. - Macaulay.
n.	1.	A recreant; a coward; a weak-hearted, spiritless fellow. See Recreant, n. King Henry. Is it fit this soldier keep his oath? Fluellen. He is a craven and a villain else. - Shak.
v. t.	1.	To make recreant, weak, spiritless, or cowardly. [imp. & p. p. Cravened (-v'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cravening.] There is a prohibition so divine, That cravens my weak hand. - Shak.

Noun	1.	craven - an abject coward Synonyms: poltroon, recreant
Adj.	1.	craven - lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful; "the craven fellow turned and ran"; "a craven proposal to raise the white flag"; "this recreant knight"- Spenser Synonyms: recreant

CRAVEN. A word of obloquy, which in trials by battle, was pronounced by the vanquished; upon which judgment was rendered against him.

base, caitiff, chicken, coward, dastard, dastardly, dunghill, dunghilly, funk, funker, gutless, lily-livered, poltroon, poltroonish, pusillanimous, quitter, recreant, spunkless, unmanly