bri⋅o

bri⋅o
  /ˈbrioʊ; It. ˈbriɔ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [bree-oh; It. bree-aw] Show IPA
Use brio in a Sentence
–noun
vigor; vivacity.
Origin:
1725–35; < It < Sp brío energy, determination < Celtic *brīgos; cf. OIr bríg (fem.) power, strength, force, Middle Welsh bri (masc.) honor, dignity, authority
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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animation, invigoration, spiritedness, vivification
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bri·o (brē'ō)
n. Vigor; vivacity: "She tells their story with brio and a mixture of sympathy and tart insight" (Michiko Kakutani).

[Italian, from Spanish brio or Provençal briu, both of Celtic origin; see gwerə-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

brio
"liveliness, vivacity," 1734, from It., lit. "mettle, fire, life," perhaps an aphetic derivative of L. ebrius "drunk." Or via Prov. briu "vigor," from Celt. *brig-o- "strength." Probably entered Eng. via musical instruction con brio.