Hypertext Webster Gateway: "cringing"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Cringe \Cringe\ (kr?nj), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Crnged} (kr?njd);
p. pr. & vb. n. {Cringing}.] [As. crincgang, cringan,
crincan, to jield, fall; akin to E. crank.]
To draw one's self together as in fear or servility; to bend
or crouch with base humility; to wince; hence; to make court
in a degrading manner; to fawn.
When they were come up to the place where the lions
were, the boys that went before were glad to cringe
behind, for they were afraid of the lions. --Bunyan.
Sly hypocrite, . . . who more than thou Once fawned and
cringed, and servilely adored Heaven's awful monarch?
--Milton.
Flatterers . . . are always bowing and cringing.
--Arbuthnot.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
cringing
adj 1: shrinking or flinching in fear [syn: {cowering(a)}, {cringing(a)}]
2: totally submissive [syn: {groveling}, {grovelling}, {wormlike},
{wormy}]
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