Oxford Dictionary English

cower

verb
verb
BrE BrE//ˈkaʊə(r)//
; NAmE NAmE//ˈkaʊər//
[intransitive]Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they cower
BrE BrE//ˈkaʊə(r)//
; NAmE NAmE//ˈkaʊər//
 he / she / it cowers
BrE BrE//ˈkaʊəz//
; NAmE NAmE//ˈkaʊərz//
 past simple cowered
BrE BrE//ˈkaʊəd//
; NAmE NAmE//ˈkaʊərd//
 past participle cowered
BrE BrE//ˈkaʊəd//
; NAmE NAmE//ˈkaʊərd//
 -ing form cowering
BrE BrE//ˈkaʊərɪŋ//
; NAmE NAmE//ˈkaʊərɪŋ//
 Fear
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to bend low and/or move backwards because you are frightened A gun went off and people cowered behind walls and under tables. The dog whimpered and cowered at his feet. See related entries: Fear Word OriginMiddle English: from Middle Low German kūren ‘lie in wait’, of unknown ultimate origin.Extra examples Piper was cowering against the far wall. The children cowered in terror behind the closed door. cowering under the table
See cower in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: cower
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