miles gloriosus

British  

/ ˈmiːleɪs ˌɡlɔːrɪˈəʊsʊs /

noun

1. a braggart soldier, esp as a stock figure in comedy

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Etymology

Origin of miles gloriosus

from the title of a comedy by Plautus

Example Sentences

The real truth seems to be, that had Falstaff, loose and unprincipled as he is, been born a Coward and bred a Soldier, he must, naturally, have been a great Braggadocio, a true miles gloriosus.

From Eighteenth Century Essays on Shakespeare by Smith, David Nichol

Full of the pedantry of his profession and fond of noble phrases, he is a kind of cross between Dugald Dalgetty and Ancient Pistol, with a slight relish of the miles gloriosus.

From Among My Books First Series by Lowell, James Russell

Res gloriosa is an illustrious thing; but vir gloriosus is commonly a braggart, as in miles gloriosus.

From Lives of the Poets, Volume 1 by Johnson, Samuel

His heroes had no scruples in proclaiming their physical advantages and athletic prowess; Charles O’Malley, that typical Galway miles gloriosus, introduces himself with ingenuous egotism in the following passage:

From Humours of Irish Life by Various

In 'Julius of Tarentum' the younger brother, Guido, is, again, the man of action; a miles gloriosus who boasts of his strong arm and dreams of glory.

From The Life and Works of Friedrich Schiller by Thomas, Calvin