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Bombast
BombastBombast was absolutely essential to the men's and women's clothing of the sixteenth century, yet it was never actually seen. Bombast was a form of stuffing made from cotton, wool, horsehair, or even sawdust. It was used to pad and add shape to a variety of garments, including the shoulders, chest, and stomach of the doublet, a kind of overshirt, and bodice; the bulky legs of men's hose like pumpkin breeches and Venetians; or the sleeves and shoulders of women's gowns. These garments could not have attained their exaggerated shape without the use of bombast. Today, the word "bombast" is used to refer to exaggerated speech or writing, and someone who uses such speech is referred to as "bombastic." FOR MORE INFORMATIONBigelow, Marybelle S. Fashion in History: Apparel in the Western World. Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Publishing, 1970. Payne, Blanche, Geitel Winakor, and Jane Farrell-Beck. The History of Costume. 2nd ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1992. [See also Volume 3, Fifteenth Century: Doublet ; Volume 3, Sixteenth Century: Hose and Breeches ; Volume 3, Seventeenth Century: Gowns ] |
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Cite this article
"Bombast." Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Bombast." Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3425500293.html "Bombast." Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3425500293.html |
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bombast
bombast †cotton-wool, esp. as used for padding; turgid language. XVI. var., with parasitic t, of †bombace — OF. bombace — medL. bombax, -āc-, alt. of bombyx silk.
Hence bombastic XVIII. bombastical XVII. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "bombast." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "bombast." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-bombast.html T. F. HOAD. "bombast." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-bombast.html |
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bombast
bom·bast / ˈbämbast/ • n. high-sounding language with little meaning, used to impress people. DERIVATIVES: bom·bas·tic adj. bom·bas·ti·cal·ly adv. |
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Cite this article
"bombast." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bombast." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-bombast.html "bombast." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-bombast.html |
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Bombast
Bombast, from ‘cotton stuffing’, a term used to describe verbose and exaggerated language.
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Cite this article
MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Bombast." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Bombast." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Bombast.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Bombast." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Bombast.html |
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bombast
bombast
•bast • cineaste • encomiast
•symposiast • enthusiast • bombast
•oblast • chloroplast • iconoclast
•gymnast • pederast • fantast
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Cite this article
"bombast." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bombast." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-bombast.html "bombast." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-bombast.html |
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