From Latin 'cauda' (tail) via Old French — literally 'one who turns tail,' with a heraldic lion's tucked tail as the original image.
A person who is contemptibly lacking in courage.
From Old French 'coart' (cowardly), probably from Vulgar Latin 'coda' (tail, from Latin 'cauda'), with the pejorative suffix '-ard.' A coward is literally someone who turns tail — or an animal with its tail between its legs. Key roots: cauda/coda (Latin: "tail").
A 'coward' is all tail. The word likely comes from Latin 'cauda' (tail) — an animal fleeing with its tail between its legs, or a person 'turning tail.' In heraldry, a lion depicted with its tail between its legs is called 'coward' — the original technical meaning preserved in coats of arms. The same