rodomontade (2009-08-23)

Part of Speech: noun

Pronunciation: [rah-dê-mên-'teyd, ro-dê-mên-'teyd]

Definition: Pretentious boasting or bragging; bluster and hence any arrogant act.

Usage: This is the pretentious means of referring to pretentious boasting. Using the word itself is a sort of rodomontade. (Don't you just love words like that?) "The commencement speaker's point was less acuminate behind the absolute rodomontade of his accomplishments he brandished in the foreground."

Suggested Usage: The same word may be used as an intransitive verb: "We have a $10 million deal with IBM? That's just Jack rodomontading about his sales department again."

Etymology: Old French "rodomont" + -ade. The suffix is from the Latin feminine past participle, -ata, often used as a noun, e.g. strata "paved way, road," armata "armed, furnished with weapons." Found elsewhere in "marmalade," "parade," "serenade," "tirade," as well as "salad" from the Medieval Latin salata "salted" via French "salade," and "ballad" (originally meaning "a dancing song") from late Latin ballare "to dance," whence also "ball" and "ballet." The noun originates in Italian "rodomonte," a commonization of the name of the blustering Saracen leader in Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso" and Bojardo's "Orlando Innamorato."