Wordwyrt

bombast

/ˈbɒmbæst/BOM-bast
/ˈbɑmbæst/BAHM-bast

Meaningsilk or silkworm

Common meaning: overblown or pompous language

Journey through time

  1. Greekbombyx‘silk or silkworm’source
  2. Italianmeaning shiftssilk or silkworm → cottonbambagio‘cotton’source
  3. Late Latinbombax‘cotton’source
  4. Englishmeaning shiftscotton → overblown or pompous languagebombast‘overblown or pompous language’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Greek bombyx ‘silk or silkworm’.

Roots

  • bombyx Greek “silk or silkworm”

Related words

bombazine

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