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bellicose definition

bel·li·cose (beli kōs′)

adjective

of a quarrelsome or hostile nature; eager to fight or quarrel; warlike

Etymology: ME < L bellicosus < bellicus, of war < bellum, war < OL duellum: for IE base see duel

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

bellicose Synonyms

bellicose

modif.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

bellicose Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • rhetoric: Or will they sit out the fighting, despite their bellicose rhetoric, out of fear of choosing the wrong side?

Modifying Another Word

  • increasingly: How do you reconcile what local people are saying with the increasingly bellicose noises out of America?

Used with adjective complement

  • become: They will become more bellicose rather than diplomatic, more self-righteous and dismissive when criticized.
bellicose usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

bellicose quotes

All successful newspapers are ceaselesslyquerulous and bellicose.

-Mencken, H(enry) L(ouis)

bellicose quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"bellicose." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 3 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/bellicose>

APA Style

bellicose. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 3rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/bellicose

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