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POLTROON

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 17 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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POLTROON , a See also:

coward, a worthless See also:rogue without courage or, spirit. The word comes through Fr. poltron from Ital. poltrone, an idle See also:fellow, one who lolls in a See also:bed or See also:couch (Milanese palter, Venetian poltrona, adapted from Ger. Polster, a See also:pillow; cf. See also:English " bolster "). The old guess that it was from See also:Lat. pollice truncus, maimed in the thumb, and was first applied to those who avoided military service by self-See also:mutilation, gave rise probably to the See also:French application of poltron to a See also:falcon whose talons were cut to prevent its attacking See also:game.

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POLTROT, JEAN DE (c. 1537–1563)

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