Entry 1 sense Webster, 1913 Bellicose /bĕl'-ək-ōsˌ/ · Bel·li·cose · IPA /ˈbɛlɪkoʊs/ 01 a. Inclined to war or contention; warlike; pugnacious. 1. Inclined to war or contention; warlike; pugnacious. “Arnold was, in fact, in a bellicose vein.” — W. Irving.