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Webster 1913 Edition


Courage

Cour′age

(kŭr′ā̍j; 48)
,
Noun.
[OE.
corage
heart, mind, will, courage, OF.
corage
, F.
courage
, fr. a LL. derivative of L.
cor
heart. See
Heart
.]
1.
The heart; spirit; temper; disposition.
[Obs.]
So priketh hem nature in here
corages
.
Chaucer.
My lord, cheer up your spirits; our foes are nigh,
and this soft
courage
makes your followers faint.
Shakespeare
2.
Heart; inclination; desire; will.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
I’d such a
courage
to do him good.
Shakespeare
3.
That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution.
The king-becoming graces . . .
Devotion, patience,
courage
, fortitude,
I have no relish of them.
Shakespeare
Syn. – Heroism; bravery; intrepidity; valor; gallantry; daring; firmness; hardihood; boldness; dauntlessness; resolution.
See
Heroism
. –
Courage
,
Bravery
,
Fortitude
,
Intrepidity
,
Gallantry
,
Valor
. Courage is that firmness of spirit and swell of soul which meets danger without fear. Bravery is daring and impetuous courage, like that of one who has the reward continually in view, and displays his courage in daring acts. Fortitude has often been styled “passive courage,” and consist in the habit of encountering danger and enduring pain with a steadfast and unbroken spirit. Valor is courage exhibited in war, and can not be applied to single combats; it is never used figuratively. Intrepidity is firm, unshaken courage. Gallantry is adventurous courage, which courts danger with a high and cheerful spirit. A man may show courage, fortitude, or intrepidity in the common pursuits of life, as well as in war. Valor, bravery, and gallantry are displayed in the contest of arms. Valor belongs only to battle; bravery may be shown in single combat; gallantry may be manifested either in attack or defense; but in the latter case, the defense is usually turned into an attack.

Cour′age

,
Verb.
T.
To inspire with courage; to encourage.
[Obs.]
Paul writeth unto Timothy . . . to
courage
him.
Tyndale.

Webster 1828 Edition


Courage

COURAGE

,
Noun.
[L., the heart.] Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution. It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.
Courage that grows from constitution, often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it; courage which arises from a sense of duty, acts in a uniform manner.
Be strong and of good courage. Deuteronomy 31.

Definition 2024


Courage

Courage

See also: courage

German

Noun

Courage f (genitive Courage, no plural)

  1. courage
  2. (obsolete, in the dialect of 16th-century German mercenaries) ****

Derived terms

  • Zivilcourage

courage

courage

See also: Courage

English

Noun

courage (usually uncountable, plural courages)

  1. The quality of a confident character not to be afraid or intimidated easily but without being incautious or inconsiderate.
    "A great part of courage is the courage of having done the thing before."Ralph Waldo Emerson
    It takes a lot of courage to be successful in business.
  2. The ability to do things which one finds frightening.
    "Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it."Mark Twain
    He plucked up the courage to tell her how he felt.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:courage

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

courage (third-person singular simple present courages, present participle couraging, simple past and past participle couraged)

  1. (obsolete) To encourage. [15th-17thc.]
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter x, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIX:
      And wete yow wel sayd kynge Arthur vnto Vrres syster I shalle begynne to handle hym and serche vnto my power not presumyng vpon me that I am soo worthy to hele youre sone by my dedes / but I wille courage other men of worshyp to doo as I wylle doo
    • William Tyndale (1494-1536)
      Paul writeth unto Timothy [] to courage him.

See also


French

Etymology

cœur + -age or Middle French corage, from Old French corage, from Vulgar Latin *coraticum, from Latin cor.

Pronunciation

Noun

courage m (plural courages)

  1. courage

Related terms