Definition of "craven" [cra•ven]

• Characterized by abject fear; cowardly. (adjective)
• A coward. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "So if you had any doubt about who owns the Republicans and their nether regions, this latest exercise in craven sycophancy should pretty much put that to rest."
• "Charles Lane, who recently praised Evan Bayh for having the courage to be base, selfish, and craven, is on the rise."
• "The more these changes take place in public opinion, the more reckless, really, the Israeli government has become, and it's all the more surprising, therefore, that Canada should have a government so absolutely ... well, I don't want to use the word craven because that would suggest submissiveness."