Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Warlike or hostile in manner or temperament. See Synonyms at belligerent.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Inclined or tending to war; warlike; pugnacious: as, bellicose sentiments.
Wiktionary
- adj. Warlike in nature; aggressive; hostile.
- adj. Showing or having the impulse to be combative.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Inclined to war or contention; warlike; pugnacious.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. having or showing a ready disposition to fight
Etymologies
- Middle English, from Latin bellicōsus, from bellicus, of war, from bellum, war.
Examples
“If his subject is peace, he will have to know that this Island is not immersed in bellicose conflict, but neither does it know concord.”
“To put it simply: this President is not interested in bellicose rhetoric, he is focused on action," Pffiefer writes.”
“What I hate about this that it reinforces the idea that being bellicose is being strong.”
“There were some clamours at this, and although it was now dinner-time Phineas Finn, who had been called a bellicose”
“Finn, who had been called a bellicose Irishman, was able to say a word or two.”
“For instance, North Korea over the past week has issued several statements lashing out at Mr. Lee for calling the North "bellicose" in an interview last month.”
“Wonder whether Mr. Alexander will read and actually absorb "bellicose" commentaries like these.”
A. Siegel: WashPost Ombudsman Steps up and Steps in it -- Plus Another Will Fabrication
“Again, I go back to their problem is they're sort of addicted to their sort of the talk radio southern base that likes that kind of bellicose language.”
“Hauser also criticized McCain for his "bellicose" and "threatening" rhetoric toward Russia in response to the Georgian crisis whereas Obama was far more willing to engage the international community while still remaining firm.”
“John sometimes ... [is] given to this kind of bellicose rhetoric, which has a tendency to inflame conflicts rather than to diffuse them.”
The Washington Post: Gates, Rice say Russia will face consequences
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘bellicose’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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SAT Words
But only the ones that I don't already know.
abase, abash, abominate, abstruse, acclivity, accolade, accost, adroit, adulate, adulterate, adumbrate, affray and 241 more...
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Bells and Whistles
Liberty Bell, Belle and Sebastian, Whistler's Mother, whistle stop, pennywhistle, whistle pig, wolf whistle, wet your whistle, barbell, bell jar, Bell's palsy, bell pepper and 136 more...
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The Bucolic Abattoir
Words which, when spoken, suggest something other than their real meaning.
bucolic, fungible, brouhaha, narthex, restive, inflammable, invaluable, raze, pulchritude, noisome, fatuous, terrific and 20 more...
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The Four Stages of Drunkenness
are there more?
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xulilux's list
leviathan, destitute, iapetus, caesura, ineffable, eschew, phosphene, fungible, antediluvian, nomenclature, mottle, europa and 84 more...
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words adored
quisling, bellicose, fungible, mumpsimus, ouroboros, aleatoric, sophistry, gorgonize, gasconade, tintinnabulation, cabalistic, ear-kissing and 1 more...
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Vocab Vitamins
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Note to self: don't name your daughter this.
Words that are lovely but don't have lovely meanings
seraglio, chlamydia, miasma, bellicose, vinaigrette, catarrhy, porcine

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