King Bomba
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A nickname given to Ferdin- and II, King of Naples, in consequence of his cruel bombardment of Messina in 1848, in which the slaughter and destruction of property was most wanton.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “King Bomba” mean?
A nickname given to Ferdin- and II, King of Naples, in consequence of his cruel bombardment of Messina in 1848, in which the slaughter and destruction of property was most wanton.
Is “King Bomba” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.