Munchausen
pronunciation
How to pronounce Munchausen in British English:
UK [mʌnˈtʃɔ:zn]
How to pronounce Munchausen in American English:
US [ˈmʌnˌtʃaʊzən, ˈmʌntʃˌhaʊ-]
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- Noun:
- German raconteur who told preposterous stories about his adventures as a soldier and hunter; his name is now associated with any telling of exaggerated stories or winning lies (1720-1797)
Word Origin
- Munchausen
- in reference to unbelievable stories (1850) is in reference to Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Münchhausen (1720-1797), German adventurer who served in the Russian army against the Turks; wildly exaggerated exploits attributed to him are told in the 1785 English book "Baron Munchausen, Narrative of his Marvellous Travels," written by Rudolph Erich Raspe (1734-1794). As a syndrome involving feigned dramatic illness, it is attested from 1951.