Scaramouch
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌskɛrəˈmuːtʃ/
- Archaic
- The audience laughed when the scaramouch tripped over his own feet during the performance.
Examples
-
"Guilefully renaming it, Punch takes and plays the fiddle on Scaramouch's head, but in such a way that it looks as if the stick, rather than Punch, has aimed the blow.
Academic text (1995) -
"You'll never hear such another tune so long as you live, my boy," Punch squeaks as he knocks Scaramouch's head from his shoulders.
Academic text (1995) -
Punch's neighbor, Scaramouch (also his near double, with hooked nose and hunchback), enters with a stick he calls a "fiddle."
Academic text (1995) -
In the play, the scaramouch boasted loudly about his courage, yet he ran away at the first sign of danger.
-
He played the role of a scaramouch, always trying to impress others with his stories, but never facing real challenges.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A person who brags, acts brave, but is easily frightened and makes people laugh on stage
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Etymology
Scaramouch comes from the Italian name Scaramuccia, which originally meant 'skirmish' or 'small fight'. The stage character is a showy, boastful clown who talks about fighting but runs away, so the name is a kind of joke about someone who is loud but cowardly.