Craven

Craventy Cravant, [from Sax. crafian^ to crave, beg or implorej In old English law. A word of obloquy and disgrace, in the ancient trial by battel, on the uttering of which by either champion, he was considered as yielding the victory to his opponent, and was condemned, as a recreant, amiltere liberam legem, [to lose his frank-law,] that is, to become infamous, and not to be accounted a free and lawful man, {liber et legalis homo,) being supposed by the court to be proved forsworn, and therefore never to be put upon a jury or admitted as a witness in any cause.

3 Bl, Com. 340. 4 Id, 348. 4 Steph, Com, 415.

The word is still popularly used in the same dishonorable sense. See Battel, Champion, Recreant.