Crouching down in fear or submission; showing that someone is scared or intimidated.
From Middle Dutch 'curen' or related Germanic words meaning 'to crouch or cower.' The word entered English in the 14th century, originally describing the body language of fear or submission.
Cowering is instinctive across mammals—your body makes itself smaller to seem less threatening or to protect vital organs, which is why abused animals cower and why the gesture is universally recognized as a sign of fear or submission.
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