Poltroon

n. [Fr. & Sp. poltron, Pg. poltrão, from It. poltrone, an idle fellow, sluggard, coward, from poltro, idle, lazy, poltrire, to lie abed lazily, from O. H. Ger. polstar, bolstar, cervical, capital, N. H. Ger. polster, Eng. bolster; usually erroneously derived from Lat. pollice truncus, maimed in the thumb, it being once a practice of cowards to cut off the thumbs to avoid military service.] An arrant coward; a dastard; a wretch without spirit or courage.

Synonyms—Coward; craven; dastard. See COWARD.