Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Music A loud flourish of brass instruments, especially trumpets.
- n. A spectacular public display.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A flourish of trumpets, either in hunting, in martial assemblages, or in the course of a musical work; a noisy flourish.
- n. Hence An ostentatious parade or boast; bravado.
- n. In bookbinding, an erratic or eccentric style of decoration which purposely avoids regular or geometrical design.
Wiktionary
- n. countable A flourish of trumpets or horns as to announce; a short and lively air performed on hunting horns during the chase.
- n. uncountable A show of ceremony or celebration.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A flourish of trumpets, as in coming into the lists, etc.; also, a short and lively air performed on hunting horns during the chase.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a gaudy outward display
- n. (music) a short lively tune played on brass instruments
Etymologies
- French, possibly of imitative origin. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“GWB would have vetoed a bill he thought to be bad (and demanded a “clean bill” with much fanfare from the media about the need to give our CiC a clean bill).”
Matthew Yglesias » It’s Time to Not Get Financial Reform Done
“Finally, a seemingly reluctant Salonen arrived for a solo bow to thunderous applause and a surprise impromptu fanfare from the brass players on stage.”
“They did the fanfare from the LA Olympics, and some Harry Potter, and a very odd selection from Jurassic Park 2, and the main theme from Raiders, and they did Superman.”
“What GE announced with much fanfare is a light bulb that won†™ t be on the market for several years, a light bulb that will be about half as efficient as a current generation compact fluorescent (CFL) lights.”
Sustainable Design Update » Blog Archive » GE Announces Efficient Bulb (sort of)
“Thanking people - whether privately or with fanfare, is always a good thing.”
“Yet, as the San Francisco Giants entered the week as baseball's only undefeated team, ignored in all the fanfare is one of the most amazing stories of all:”
“As the distinguished guests approached the Canadian Room they passed through the outstanding Guard-of-Honour provided by the Royal Regiment of Canada and were greeted as they entered the Canadian Room itself by a resounding fanfare from the Coronation Trumpeters of the GovernorGeneral's Horse Guards.”
“When the team launched it promised a whole lot of hope and refreshment to a tainted and recently jaded sport; it came out with all guns blazing in fanfare that took the commercial and promotional side of the sport by the scruff of the neck, effectively dragging pro cycling out of the 80’s and into the world of multi-media.”
Sky highs and Sky lows: Looking at Team Sky’s first year in the pro peloton
“A red curtain parts, revealing the Fox logo – it’s very 20th Century – as Alfred Newman’s fanfare is conducted by some tuxedoed spastic.”
“It's a fanfare, which is like the music that plays when a king comes into court," Wilson said.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘fanfare’.
-
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 4087 more...
-
Of Imitative Origin
Words formed in imitation of the sound of the things they signify.
bawl, biff, blizzard, blob, blooper, bob, boff, bomb, bonkers, boo, borborygmus, brouhaha and 148 more...
-
Of Arabic Origin
Arabic loanwords in English are words acquired directly from Arabic or else indirectly by passing from Arabic into other languages and then into English. Most entered one or more of the Romance lan...
admiral, adobe, albatross, alchemy, alcohol, alcove, alembic, alfalfa, algebra, algorism, algorithm, alidade and 181 more...
-
September Words-11337
During the month of September, post at least 10 new words to this list. Make sure you cite where you read the word (book/author/pg) and quote the context/sentence where you found it. If someone has...
flabbergasted, discombobulated, inclination, serendipity, savvy, profound, incarnation, myriad, confiscate, audacity, deciduous, adieu and 79 more...
-
TECH - Steve Jobs
visionary, redefine, digital, founder, era, computer, cultural, product, global, gaunt, frail, executive and 76 more...
-
Just 'cause I like 'em, F
felony, frolic, fend, fuselage, farthingale, freewheeling, frigorific, flummery, fancypants, felsitic, flagstone, flageolet and 295 more...
-
Onomatopoetics
Words formed in imitation of a natural sound.
bumble-bee, rat-a-tat, blurt, clink, chickadee, rub-a-dub, chirr, chug, keck, flim-flam, brekekekex, thunk and 94 more...
-
ADW1
obdurate, obstinate, behest, injunction, enjoin, circumspect, ensconce, discursive, lugubrious, doleful, somber, ken and 2476 more...
-
My GRE word list
polemic, ad hominem, fallacious, comity, paucity, contrite, prosaic, veracious, laconic, pugnacious, alacrity, gregarious and 176 more...
-
random
words I read but don't know
nascent, proxy, desultory, charlatan, churlish, emaciated, gaudy, shill, lurid, frisson, marauding, plunder and 610 more...
-
Sat Vocabulary List
abandon, abash, abate, abjure, ablution, abnegate, abominable, aboriginal, abortive, abrade, abridge, abrogate and 2155 more...
-
ash
ash
abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abide, abject, abjure and 4874 more...
-
2007bee-r02
2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee Round 2
query, tendency, danceable, parachute, malignant, brutal, humanely, lyrically, deductible, shindig, gravel, embroidered and 274 more...
-
Permutations
There are 17576 different sequences of three letters (26 x 26 x 26). How many of them occur in words? General rules of engagement: mononyms only, lower case preferred to upper case, short preferred...
aaargh, niqaabi, Isaac, raad, baaed, haaf, laager, aah, kamaaina, Naajaat, aak, aalii and 637 more...
-
Everyone Loves a Parade
junkanoo, charivari, shivaree, cavalcade, autocade, procession, flypast, parade of horribles, flower, ticker tape parade, pride, pomp and 12 more...
-
SAT PSAT ALPHABETICAL F
fabricate, fabulist, facade, facet, facetious, facilitate, facsimile, factious, fain, fallacy, fallow, fanatical and 69 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for fanfare.
lweber5@scf.edu Two elves at the front of the sleigh blew a trumpet fanfare. -Websters Dictionary pg. 29 Sep 23, 2010