ostent

noun

os·​tent

äˌstent

plural -s

1

: a significant sign : portent

the night waxed wan, as though with an awed sense of such ostent

—Thomas Hardy

2

: the act of showing or displaying : appearance, manifestation

be merry and employ your chiefest thoughts to courtship and such fair ostents of love

—Shakespeare

3

: excessive display : ostentation sense 1 a

the city of glorious ostent and vanity

—Christopher Morley

Word History

Etymology

in sense 1, from Latin ostentum, from neuter of ostentus, past participle of ostendere to show; in other senses, from Latin ostentus, noun, from ostentus, past participle of ostendere to show

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