From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbellicosebel‧li‧cose /ˈbelɪkəʊs $ -koʊs/ adjective formal behaving in a way that is likely to start an argument or fight SYN aggressive bellicose criticism —bellicosity /ˌbelɪˈkɒsəti $ -ˈkɑː-/ noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
bellicose• So when the shivering fit is over I write my bellicose article and no one would guess that I ever hesitated.• The emergence of bellicose private security forces enforcing order at these parties is an allied worry.• They are not practical instruments of warfare, though they genuinely reflect the factious bellicose tendencies of their builders.• The bellicose termite belongs to a group that uses a different digestive method.• It is on the underside of this plate that the bellicose termite constructs its most spectacular architectural invention.• They were belligerent, they were bellicose, they were snotty, they were downright rude.• A large man in every way, he was tall and big-bellied; bellicose when fondest, hearty when not.Origin bellicose (1400-1500) Latin bellicosus, from bellum “war” 