a. A ‘heart’ or courage as faint as a chicken’s. b. A timorous, cowardly person.
1602. Middleton, Blurt, II. ii. Such chicken-hearts, and yet great quarrellers.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xii. Why, you chicken-heart.
1836. Marryat, Three Cutt., iii. You must have a chicken-heart to be frightened at a blue pigeon.
1871. E. C. G. Murray, Member for Paris, II. 10. M. Paul, perceiving a reluctance to quarrel, set down his adversary for a chicken-heart, and began unwisely to crow cock-a-whoop before the time.
