brio

See also: brio- and brío

English

Etymology

Italian brio (“finesse, talent”), from Spanish brío, from Old Occitan briu (“wild”), from Gaulish (compare Old Irish bríg (“pith, strength”), Welsh bri (“repute, respect”)), from Proto-Celtic *brigos, *brigā (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰr̥ǵʰ-, zero-grade form of *bʰerǵʰ- (“high”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɹiːoʊ/

Noun

brio (uncountable)

1. Vigour or vivacity.
   • 1917, Henry Handel Richardson, Australia Felix, Part II Chapter I

     He lay tossing restlessly on a dirty old straw palliasse, and was in great pain; but greeted his friend with a dash of the old brio.

   • 1986, John le Carré, A Perfect Spy:

     And as if to undermine their authority still further, Welsh Philpott in his innocence has made the error of placing Rick beside the pulpit in the very spot from which in the past he has read us the day's lesson with such brio and persuasion.

Translations

vigour or vivacity

• German: Elan (de) m, Feuer n Schwung m

• Russian: жи́вость (ru) f (žívostʹ)

Anagrams

• Biro, biro, ribo-

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian brio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʁi.jo/

Noun

brio m (uncountable)

1. brilliance, panache
2. (music) con brio

Derived terms

• avec brio

Further reading

• “brio” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish brío.

Noun

brio m (plural brii)

1. vivacity, liveliness

Anagrams

• biro, bori, orbi

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Old High German

Noun

brīo m

1. mash (as in mashed potatoes).

Descendants

• German: Brei
• Yiddish: ברײַ‎ (bray)

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Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish brío (“vigour”), from Old Occitan briu (“wild”), from Gaulish brīgos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɾi.u]

Noun

brio m (plural brios)

1. mettle; courage
2. zeal; vigour; vivacity
3. pride; dignity

Quotations

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:brio.