| Definitions | | caitiff |
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noun
- (obsolete) a captive or prisoner
- (archaic) a villain, a coward or wretch
- Late C14: For, certes, lord, í¾er is noon of us alle / í�at she ne haí¾ been a duchesse or a queene. / Now be we caytyves, as it is wel seene, / í�anked be Fortune and hire false wheel " Geoffrey Chaucer, The Knight's Tale
- 1989: "There are plenty of Huns who have defected to the Romans, seeking gold and a quiet life. One of my first tasks as paramount chief is to bring those caitiffs back and crucify them." " Anthony Burgess, The Devil's Mode
Etymology: Old French caitif "captive", a varient of chaitif (French chétif), from a Proto-Romance alteration of Latin captivus "captive".
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