Shouting "bravo" at the opera? Technically that's only correct for a male performer — a woman gets "brava," and the whole cast gets "bravi."
An exclamation used to express approval of a performance or achievement. Also a noun meaning a hired assassin or desperado (archaic).
From Italian bravo ('bold, brave, fine, excellent'), possibly from Latin barbarus ('barbarous, foreign, wild') or from Latin pravus ('crooked, depraved') with a prefix. The word originally had a sense of 'wild, savage' before being softened to 'brave, excellent.' Key roots: bravo (Italian: "bold, wild, brave"), barbarus (?) (Latin: "foreign, barbarous").
In Italian, "bravo" changes form based on who you're addressing: bravo for one man, brava for one woman, bravi for a mixed group, brave for a group of women. English opera audiences who shout "bravo!" regardless of the performer's gender are, technically, only correct when applauding a male soloist. The word also serves as the NATO phonetic alphabet