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bom·bast

(bŏmbăst′)

1. Grandiloquent, pompous speech or writing.

2. Grandiose or overpowering expression, as in music or painting.

[Alteration of obsolete bombace, cotton padding, from Old French, from Medieval Latin bombax, bombac-, cotton; see BOMBAZINE.]

bombast′er n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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