"manners, acts, or character of a pedant; the overrating of mere knowledge, especially in matters of learning which are of minor importance; ostentatious or inappropriate display of learning," 1610s, from Italian pedanteria, from pedante, or from French pédanterie, from pédant (see pedant).
PEDANTRY crams our heads with learned lumber, and takes out our brains to make room for it. [The Rev. C.C. Colton, "Lacon: or Many Things in Few Words," London, 1823]
