sb. (and a.) Also 6–8 braggadoche, 7–8 bragodocia, brahgadochio, bragado-, braggadoccio, -chio, -sier. [A name formed from BRAG after the analogy of Italian augmentatives in -occhio, -occio, given by Spenser to his personification of Brag, Vainglory.
(Formerly also pronounced -kio, which was perhaps Spenser’s usage.)]
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. iii. Argt. Vaine Braggadocchio, getting Guyons horse, is made the scorne of knighthood trew.
1. An empty, idle boaster; a swaggerer.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., 15. These … goose-quill Braggadoches were mere cowards and crauens.
1618. Raleigh, Rem. (1644), 233. Whatsoever the Bragadochio, the Spanish Ambassadour saith.
1714. Wentworth Papers (ed. Cartwright), 430. They did Web wrong that said he was a braggadosier.
1759. H. Walpole, Corr., 343 (ed. 3), III. 321. You are spies, if you are not bragadochios.
1832. Carlyle, in Fraser’s Mag., V. 382. He … had much of the sycophant, alternating with the braggadocio.
2. The talk of such a person, empty vaunting.
a. 1734. North, Exam., Pref. 14. Without a Braggadocio this may be styled a New Work.
1822. Southey, Lett. (1856), III. 358. I found … that this was half blunder, half braggadocio.
1878. H. Smart, Play or Pay, i. 8. Though his assertions might appear all braggadocio, it was not so.
B. attrib. or adj.; and in comb. as braggadocio-like adv.
1600. J. Lane, Tom Tel-troth, 126. And makes them brave it braggadochio-like.
a. 1613. Overbury, A Wife, etc. (1638), 92. A Braggadochio Welshman.
1829. Carlyle, in For. Rev. & Cont. Misc., III. 123. [He] evidently writes with great gusto, in a lively braggadocio manner.
1862. Ainsworth, Tower Lond. (1864), 279. Xit kept up his braggadocio air and gait.
