boast

boast
{{11}}boast (n.) mid-13c., "arrogance, presumption, pride, vanity;" c.1300, "a brag, boastful speech," from Anglo-Fr. bost "ostentation," probably via Scandinavian (Cf. Norw. baus "proud, bold, daring"), from P.Gmc. *bausia "to blow up, puff up, swell" (Cf. M.H.G. bus "swelling," dialectal Ger. baustern "to swell;" M.Du. bose, Du. boos "evil, wicked, angry," O.H.G. bosi "worthless, slanderous," Ger. böse "evil, bad, angry"), from PIE *bhou-, variant of root *bheu- "to grow, swell" (see BE (Cf. be)). The notion apparently is of being "puffed up" with pride; Cf. O.E. belgan "to become angry, offend, provoke," belg "anger, arrogance," from the same root as bellows and BELLY (Cf. belly). Related: Boasted; boasting. An O.E. word for "boasting" was micelsprecende, "big talk."
{{12}}boast (v.) early 14c., "to brag, speak arrogantly;" from the same source as BOAST (Cf. boast) (n.). Related: Boasted; boasting.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • boast — vb Boast, brag, vaunt, crow, gasconade mean to give vent in speech to one s pride in oneself or something (as family, connections, race, or accomplishments) intimately connected with oneself. Boast and vaunt are often used transitively as well as …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • boast — boast·ful; boast·ing·ly; boast·less; boast; boast·er; boast·ful·ly; boast·ful·ness; un·boast·fully; …   English syllables

  • Boast — Boast, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Boasted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Boasting}.] [OE. bosten, boosten, v., bost, boost, n., noise, boasting; cf. G. bausen, bauschen, to swell, pusten, Dan. puste, Sw. pusta, to blow, Sw. p[ o]sa to swell; or W. bostio to boast …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Boast — Boast, v. t. 1. To display in ostentatious language; to speak of with pride, vanity, or exultation, with a view to self commendation; to extol. [1913 Webster] Lest bad men should boast Their specious deeds. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. To display… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Boast — Boast, n. 1. Act of boasting; vaunting or bragging. [1913 Webster] Reason and morals? and where live they most, In Christian comfort, or in Stoic boast! Byron. [1913 Webster] 2. The cause of boasting; occasion of pride or exultation, sometimes of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • boast — [n] brag; source of pride avowal, bluster, bombast, braggadocio, bravado, exaggeration, gasconade, grandiloquence, heroics, joy, pretension, pride, pride and joy, self satisfaction, swank, treasure, vaunt; concepts 410,710 Ant. deprecation,… …   New thesaurus

  • boast — boast1 [bōst] vt. [< ?] to do preliminary shaping on (sculpture, stonework, etc.) with a broad chisel boast2 [bōst] vi. [ME bosten < bost, n. < Anglo Fr; prob. via Gmc * bausia (cf. Norw baus, bold, haughty), ult. < IE * bhōu , var.… …   English World dictionary

  • Boast — Boast, v. t. [Of uncertain etymology.] 1. (Masonry) To dress, as a stone, with a broad chisel. Weale. [1913 Webster] 2. (Sculp.) To shape roughly as a preparation for the finer work to follow; to cut to the general form required. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • boast|er — 1 «BOHS tuhr», noun. a person who boasts; braggart. boast|er 2 «BOHS tuhr», noun. a broad faced chisel, used especially in sculpting …   Useful english dictionary

  • boast — index bluster (speech), exaggeration, flaunt, include, jactation Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • boast — ► VERB 1) talk about oneself with excessive pride. 2) possess (a feature that is a source of pride). ► NOUN ▪ an act of boasting. DERIVATIVES boaster noun. ORIGIN of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

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