Now arch. Forms: 5–6 vantour, 6 vauntour; 6 Sc. vantar; 6–7 vanter, 7– vaunter. [ad. OF. vantere, vanteor (AF. vanteour), vanteur (F. vanteur), f. vanter VAUNT v. Cf. Prov. vantaire, -ador, It. vantatore.] A boaster or braggart.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 30. Thai ar … grete vantouris of litill foredede.
1484. Caxton, Chivalry, 65. By surete ben mesprysed many cowardes, vauntours, and many vayne semblaunces.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. xxxiv. 104. These frenchmen ar great vantours and hyghe mynded.
1573. Tyne, in Cath. Tract. (S.T.S.), 29. Tratours,… vantars, luffars of thame selues mair than of God.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., V. iii. 113. Alas you know, I am no Vaunter I.
a. 1610. Healey, Theophrastus (1636), 79. A vanter or forth-putter is he, that boastes upon the Exchange, that he hath store of banke mony.
1640. Gent, Knave in Gr., II. i. E b. If it prove not correspondent to my word, thinke me an idle vanter.
1716. Pope, Iliad, V. 347. Mistaken vaunter! (Diomed replied;) Thy dart has err’d, and now my spear be tried.
1718. Hearne, Collect. (O.H.S.), VI. 125. A very pert, conceited Person, full of himself, and a mere Vaunter.
1831. Trelawny, Adv. Younger Son, III. 222. De Ruyter’s curled lip indicated his contempt of the vaunter.
1848. Lytton, Harold, VII. iii. Now thou shalt see if the Norman is the vaunter thou deemest him.
1888. Doughty, Arabia Deserta, II. 146. Such is the unmasking of vaunters, who utter their wishes, as if they were already performances.
b. A boastful assertor, extoller, commender or praiser, of something.
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet., 95 b. By vocation of life a souldiour is counted a great bragger, and a vaunter of hymselfe.
1623. Cockeram, II. A Vaunter of his owne vertues, arctalogon.
1700. Dryden, Homer, Iliad, I. 336. Tongue-valiant Hero, Vaunter of thy Might.
1789. Mrs. Piozzi, Journ. France, I. 222. They are really no puffers, no vaunters of that which they possess.
1856. Mrs. Browning, Aurora Leigh, VII. 1079. The large-mouthed frogs (Those noisy vaunters of their shallow streams).
1866. Fortn. Rev., V. 540. The proud vaunter of universal knowledge had been transformed into the humble student of the Bible.
