used to show strong approval or admiration for someone’s performance or achievement
The audience leapt to their feet and shouted "bravo!" as the violinist finished the final note.
"That was an amazing trick," the magician’s assistant cried, clapping and calling "bravo" from the wings.
✦ Borrowed from Italian “bravo” meaning “brave” or “excellent.” It became common in 18th-century Europe as an exclamation of praise at operas and concerts.
the word used in the NATO phonetic alphabet to represent the letter ‘B’.
The pilot read back the call sign as "bravo-seven-three" to the control tower.
"That’s bravo as in ‘B’," the officer clarified over the radio.
✦ Adopted in 1956 when NATO standardized its spelling alphabet; chosen for clarity over radio transmissions.
a hired killer or violent thug, especially in Renaissance Italy; an assassin
The duke secretly employed a ruthless bravo to eliminate his rival.
In the novel, the feared bravo prowled the streets, seeking his next victim.
✦ From Italian “bravo” meaning “bold” or “wild.” In the 16th–17th centuries it described bandits and hired swords in northern Italy, later entering English literature.
