lily-livered
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.91 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "Stew[ard],^([sic]) What doſt thou know me for? / Kent. […] [A] lilly lyuer'd action taking knaue, […] one that would'ſt bee a baud in way of good ſeruice, and art nothing but the compoſition of a knaue, begger, coward, pander, and the ſonne and heire of a mungrell bitch, […]"
- "Go pricke thy face, and ouer-red thy feare / Thou Lilly-liuer'd Boy."
- "But as for that lily-livered sneak—that poor lyin' swindlin' cringin' cur of a Clavering—who stands in my shoes—stands in my shoes, hang him!"
- "Ho! Then you do your best, Lillie. No one could call you lily-livered!"
Etymology
The first known uses of lily-livered are in William Shakespeare’s works written c. 1603–1606; see quotations below. From the medieval belief that the liver was the seat of courage, and the pale color of the lily flower. A person who had no blood in their liver would have no courage and would thus be a coward. Equivalent to lily + livered.
Inflected Forms
more lily-livered (comparative)
most lily-livered (superlative)