bravura

Where does the word "bravura" come from? It comes from Italian bravura, and was adopted directly into English (1813).

Bravura’s story begins in Italian: bravura meant “bravery, boldness.” Bravery, boldness, from bravo (brave). It reached English by 1813 as bravura. Italian for 'bravery'; used of showpiece passages in opera and virtuoso music. Today, bravura means a display of great skill, boldness, and confidence, especially in performance.

1. Stage 1 · Italian · 1700s bravura "bravery, boldness", bravery, boldness, from bravo (brave).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1813 bravura "a display of great skill and daring", Italian for 'bravery'; used of showpiece passages in opera and virtuoso music.