Forms: 3–7 bost, 4–6 boste, 4–5 boost, 6 Sc. boist, 6– boast. [ME. bōst sb., bōsten vb. are both found before 1300: their mutual relation and origin are unknown. (The Celtic words, Welsh bostio, Gael. bòsd, etc., which have been hastily assumed as the source, appear to be merely adopted from English.) Various conjectures and comparisons may be seen in Wedgwood, and E. Müller, but nothing to purpose.
The phonetic history of boast, showing ME. long ō surviving as mod. Eng. long ō (oa) in north. as well as standard Eng., shows that boast is not:—OE. *bást, which would have given north. ME. bast, mod. baist (cf. ghaist, maist, Sc. for ghost, most); nor:—OE. *bóst, which would have given mod. boost, north. buist; nor:—OE. *bost, which would have retained short o (cf. frost); but from a word of later (foreign) introduction. Its phonetic analogues are the Romanic words in -ost, with the o lengthened in later Eng., coast, roost, toast, hōst, pōst, which would lead us to expect an OF. *boster; but of this no trace has been found.]
† 1. Loud noise of the voice, outcry, clamor.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 5290. Now ariseth cry and boost Among Alisaunders oost Of scorpiouns and addres.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 3147. Vp thai sterten with gret bost, Euerich king with al his ost.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIV. 247. And whether be lizter to breke? lasse boste it maketh, A beggeres bagge þan an yren-bounde coffre!
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 887. Tesbe rist vppe withouten noyse or booste.
c. 1430. Life St. Kath. (Halliw.), 8. Maxent then with grete boste, Made hur to be bownde to a poste.
1813. J. Morton, P. Plowm., XVII. 89, note. Boost, a noise; a provincial word still familiar in the midland counties.
† 2. Speaking big, threatening, menace. north.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IX. 231. Thair bost has maid me haill and fer.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 178. For his bost be not abast.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, XI. 389. Scho wald nocht tell, for bost, nor ȝeit reward.
1578. Gude & Godlie Ballates (1868), 91. Ȝour bludie boist na syith can satisfie.
1600. J. Melvill, Diary (1842), 54. He could nocht be broken be bost.
1637. Rutherford, Lett., ci. (1862), I. 258. Slip not from it [the truth of Christ] for any bosts or fear of men.
3. Proud or vain-glorious speech; ‘tall talk’; vaunt, brag; the expression of ostentation.
c. 1300. Song, 92, in E. E. P. (1862), 132. Vr bost vr brag is some ouerbide.
c. 1462. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. I. 15. The King maketh right grete bostes of you for the truest and the feithfullest man that any Christen Prince may have.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., V. v. 162. The swell’d boast Of him that best could speake.
1709. Steele & Addison, Tatler, No. 93, ¶ 2. One of the Gentlemen … told me by Way of Boast, That there were now seven Wooden Legs in his family.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876). IV. xviii. 266. They soon found such a boast was vain indeed.
1884. Child, E. S. Ballads, II. 282/1. If they cannot make good their boasts.
† b. Ostentation, pomp, vain-glory. Obs.
1297. R. Glouc., 258. Þe kyng … bynome al ys bost.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6224. Quen [pharaon] had mad al bun his ost, He went wit mikel prid and bost.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 179. As for bobaunce & bost & bolnande priyde.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls Ser.), VI. 167. Guthlacus þe confessour forsook armes and þe boost and pompe of þis world.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom. (1879), 119. When thow forsakist the devil, & al his bostys, & pompis.
c. ‘A cause of boasting, an occasion of pride, the thing boasted.’ J.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1193. My resolution, love, shall be thy boast.
1737. Pope, Hor. Epist., II. i. 7. Edward and Henry, now the boast of fame.
1792. Anecd. W. Pitt, II. xxix. 125. It is my boast, that I was the first Minister who looked for it [merit].
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 332. Those divines who were the boast of the universities and the delight of the capital.
4. Phrases. † To blow (a) boast: to boast, brag (cf. BLOW, BLAST, BLAZE). To make (one’s) boast: to boast of, to glory in; also absol.; so † To shake boast: cf. L. jactari.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 122. The gret bost that it [pryde] blawis.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 267. Mak of ȝoure trouthe in loue no bost ne soun.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 45. He shaketh boast and oft doth him auaunte Of fortunes fauour.
1550. Lyndesay, Meldrum, 266. Thair was into the Inglis oist Ane campioun that blew greit boist.
a. 1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, III. 341. Blaw furth ȝour boist busteous.
1611. Bible, Ps. xxxiv. 2. My soule shall make her boast in the Lord.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., xl. vii. How often shall … she … bring her babe, and make her boast.
