The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Craven \Cra"ven\ (kr?"v'n), a. [OE. cravant, cravaunde, OF.
   cravant? struck down, p. p. of cravanter, crevanter, to
   break, crush, strike down, fr. an assumed LL. crepantare, fr.
   L. crepans, p. pr. of crepare to break, crack, rattle. Cf.
   Crevice, Crepitate.]
   Cowardly; fainthearted; spiritless. "His craven heart."
   --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

         The poor craven bridegroom said never a word. --Sir. W.
                                                  Scott.
   [1913 Webster]

         In craven fear of the sarcasm of Dorset. --Macaulay.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Craven \Cra"ven\, n. [Formerly written also cravant and
   cravent.]
   A recreant; a coward; a weak-hearted, spiritless fellow. See
   Recreant, n.
   [1913 Webster]

         King Henry. Is it fit this soldier keep his oath?
         Fluellen. He is a craven and a villain else. --Shak.

   Syn: Coward; poltroon; dastard.
        [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Craven \Cra"ven\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cravened (-v'nd); p. pr.
   & vb. n. Cravening.]
   To make recreant, weak, spiritless, or cowardly. [Obs.]
   [1913 Webster]

         There is a prohibition so divine,
         That cravens my weak hand.               --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

craven
    adj 1: lacking even the rudiments of courage; abjectly fearful;
           "the craven fellow turned and ran"; "a craven proposal to
           raise the white flag"; "this recreant knight"- Spenser
           [syn: craven, recreant]
    n 1: an abject coward [syn: poltroon, craven, recreant]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

19 Moby Thesaurus words for "craven":
   base, caitiff, chicken, coward, dastard, dastardly, dunghill,
   dunghilly, funk, funker, gutless, lily-livered, poltroon,
   poltroonish, pusillanimous, quitter, recreant, spunkless,
   unmanly



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

CRAVEN. A word of obloquy, which in trials by battle, was pronounced by the
vanquished; upon which judgment was rendered against him.



U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000):

Craven -- U.S. County in North Carolina
   Population (2000):    91436
   Housing Units (2000): 38150
   Land area (2000):     708.426888 sq. miles (1834.817138 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    65.715334 sq. miles (170.201927 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    774.142222 sq. miles (2005.019065 sq. km)
   Located within:       North Carolina (NC), FIPS 37
   Location:             35.095872 N, 77.061834 W
   Headwords:
    Craven
    Craven, NC
    Craven County
    Craven County, NC