English

Interjection

ciao

1. hello, hi (especially US), howdy (US).
2. bye, goodbye.

Translations

Synonyms

• (hello): aloha, shalom, ayubowan, privet
• (goodbye): addio, adieu, adios, aloha, arrivederci, auf Wiedersehen, au revoir, bye, bye-bye, cheerio, cheers, farewell, good-by, good-bye, goodbye, good day, sayonara, shalom, so long

Noun

ciao ‎(plural ciaos)

1. A greeting or farewell using the word "ciao".
   • 2010, Robert V. Camuto, Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey (page 16)

     […] he excused himself, disappearing in a cloud of ciaos and operatic Italian.

   • 2007, Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince, Bahamas For Dummies (page 196)

     You hear more ciaos than hellos. Guests play bocce ball on the beach and dine on Italian and some Bahamian cuisine. Because of its strong Continental overlay, the cuisine is better here than at your typical Grand Bahama hotel.

Usage notes

In UK and in US usage, ciao is considered pretentious by some.

Anagrams

• ICAO

French

Alternative forms

• tchao

Etymology

From Italian ciao ‎(“hello, goodbye”), from Venetian ciao ‎(“hullo, goodbye; your (humble) servant”), from Venetian s-ciao ‎(“servant, slave”) or s-ciavo ‎(“servant, slave”), from Medieval Latin sclavus ‎(“Slav, slave”), related also to Italian schiavo, English Slav, slave and old Venetian S-ciavón ("Slav"), from Latin Sclavonia ‎(“Slavonia”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʃa.o/, /tʃaw/

Interjection

ciao

1. ciao

Synonyms

• adieu
• au revoir
• salut
• tschüs

Italian

Etymology

From Italian schiavo ‎(“(your obedient) servant”) from Medieval Latin sclavus ‎(“slave”); in the Venetian language originally pronounced /stʃaʊ/. Development and use is similar to the Central European greeting of servus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈt͡ʃäː.o], /ˈtʃao/
• Hyphenation: cià‧o

Interjection

ciao!

1. Hello!
2. Goodbye!

Derived terms

• ciao ciao

Descendants

Anagrams

• Caio