ovation means A victory ceremony of less importance than a triumph.
ovation is pronounced [ə(ʊ)ˈveɪ.ʃn̩].
Why “ovation” is a great word
Prolonged enthusiastic applause, especially as a public tribute. From Latin ovātiōn-, ovātiō ("a triumph, rejoicing"), from ovāre ("to exult, rejoice"), first used in English in the 1530s in the Roman historical sense. Unlike "acclaim," which emphasizes vocal praise, or "tribute," which denotes any respectful act, an ovation is specifically a sustained, physical roar of communal approval. It is the thousand hands meeting in percussive collision, the rising tide of a stadium surging to its feet, the rhythmic rain of palms that continues past courtesy into genuine release—the fleeting architecture of sound we build to insist that we were present for something worth remembering.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin ovātiōnem.
noun
- A victory ceremony of less importance than a triumph.
- A (ceremony for the) recognition of some achievement.
- Prolonged enthusiastic applause.e.g.“First things first – everyone at Southampton enjoyed a thrilling Euro 2020 qualifier that led to a rousing ovation for both sides at the conclusion of England's chaotic 5-3 victory.” — 2019 September 10, Phil McNulty, “‘England Horribly Fallible in Defence’ against Kosovo in Euro 2020 Qualifying”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 15 Sep 2019:
- The act of laying eggs.
verb
- To give (someone) an ovation (prolonged enthusiastic applause).
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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