of a style of art, architecture, and music prevalent esp in the 17th cent. that is marked by extravagant forms and elaborate and sometimes grotesque ornamentation
Baroque is the term, originally derogatory, for an architectural style at its peak in 17th- and early 18th-cent. Europe, which developed the Classicism of the Renaissance towards greater extravagance and drama. Its innovations included greater freedom from the conventions of the Orders, much interplay of concave and convex forms, and a preference for the single visual sweep — Simon Bradley
extravagantly intricate or recherché
the arriviste's tie, complete with baroque coat of arms for the nouveau landowner — Esquire
baroquely adv
[French baroque irregular from Portuguese barroco or Spanish barrueco pearl]