ovation

Meanings

Noun

• A victory ceremony of less importance than a triumph.
• A (ceremony for the) recognition of some achievement.
• Prolonged enthusiastic applause.
• The act of laying eggs.

Verb

• To give (someone) an ovation (prolonged enthusiastic applause).

Origin

• The noun is derived from Latin ovātiōnem + English -ion. Ovātiōnem is the accusative of ovātiō, from ovō + -tiō; ovō is onomatopoeic. The English word is cognate with Italian ovazione, Middle French ovation (modern French ovation), Portuguese ovação, Spanish ovación.
• The verb is derived from the noun.
• From Late Latin ovatio + English -ion. Ovatio is derived from ovāre, from Latin ōvum (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew-) + -āre.