Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To animate; encourage; cheer.
  • noun Heart; mind; thought; feeling; inclination; desire.
  • noun State or frame of mind; disposition; condition.
  • noun That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; bravery; spirit; daring; resolution: formerly occasionally used in the plural.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To inspire with courage; to encourage.
  • noun obsolete The heart; spirit; temper; disposition.
  • noun obsolete Heart; inclination; desire; will.
  • noun That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The quality of a confident character not to be afraid or intimidated easily but without being incautious or inconsiderate.
  • noun The ability to do things which one finds frightening.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English corage, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *corāticum, from Latin cor, heart; see kerd- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French corage (French: courage), from Latin cor ("heart"). Distantly related to cardiac ("of the heart"), which is from Greek, but from the same Proto-Indo-European root.

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Examples

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  • Citation (as verb) on discourage.

    April 25, 2009