caitiff
PRONUNCIATION:
(KAY-tif)
MEANING:
noun: A cowardly and despicable person.
adjective: cowardly, despicable.
ETYMOLOGY:
Via French from Latin captivus (captive), from capere (to seize). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kap- (to grasp), which is also the root of captive, capsule, capable, capture, cable, chassis, occupy, deceive, captious, and gaff. Earliest documented use: Before 1300.]
USAGE:
"I followed him through the streets, listening to his rant, the insults directed at me for knowing cutpurses and caitiffs, and how dare I lead him into such dens of ordure."
Frank McCourt; From an Affair with Books to a Book Fair; The New York Times; Sep 19, 1997.
Explore "caitiff" in the Visual Thesaurus.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
(KAY-tif)
MEANING:
noun: A cowardly and despicable person.
adjective: cowardly, despicable.
ETYMOLOGY:
Via French from Latin captivus (captive), from capere (to seize). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kap- (to grasp), which is also the root of captive, capsule, capable, capture, cable, chassis, occupy, deceive, captious, and gaff. Earliest documented use: Before 1300.]
USAGE:
"I followed him through the streets, listening to his rant, the insults directed at me for knowing cutpurses and caitiffs, and how dare I lead him into such dens of ordure."
Frank McCourt; From an Affair with Books to a Book Fair; The New York Times; Sep 19, 1997.
Explore "caitiff" in the Visual Thesaurus.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
There is no greater mistake than the hasty conclusion that opinions are worthless because they are badly argued. -Thomas Huxley, biologist and writer (1825-1895)
