chicken-spiritedadj.
/ˌtʃɪk(ᵻ)nˈspɪrᵻtᵻd/, U.S. /ˌtʃɪkənˈspɪrᵻdᵻd/ Now rare.
Timid, faint-hearted. Cf. chicken-hearted adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > fear > cowardice or pusillanimity > [adjective]
arghc885
heartlessOE
bloodlessc1225
coward1297
faintc1300
nesha1382
comfortless1387
pusillanimousa1425
faint-heartedc1440
unheartyc1440
cowardous1480
hen-hearteda1529
cowardish1530
feigningc1540
white-livered1546
cowardly1551
faceless1567
pusillanime1570
liver-hearted1571
cowish1579
cowardise1582
coward-like1587
faint-heart1590
courageless1593
sheep-like1596
white-hearted1598
milky1602
milk-livered1608
undaring1611
lily-livereda1616
yarrow1616
flightful1626
chicken-hearted1629
poltroon1649
cow-hearted1660
whey-blooded1675
unbravea1681
nimble-heeled1719
dunghill1775
shrimp-hearted1796
chicken-livered1804
white-feathered1816
pluckless1821
chicken-spirited1822
milk-blooded1822
cowardy1836
yellow1856
yellow-livered1857
putty-hearted1872
uncourageous1878
chicken1883
piker1901
yellow-bellied1907
manso1932
scaredy-cat1933
chickenshit1940
cold-footed1944
1822 J. Neal Logan II. vii. 251 A chicken-spirited, mild, amiable man, will sometimes affect to be very implacable and bloodthirsty.
1871 Inquirer & Commerc. News (Perth, Austral.) 20 May Immigrants..would be more independent in spirit, more pushing and persevering in their callings..than the poor chicken-spirited creatures scraped together by any committee not responsible to our government.
1950 Daily Mirror 16 Mar. 8/4 Up till now I've been just as chicken-spirited as the rest.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1822