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The word tyro is hardly a newcomer to Western language. It comes from the Latin tiro, which means "young soldier," "new recruit," or more generally, "novice." The word was sometimes spelled tyro as early as Medieval Latin, and can be spelled tyro or tiro in English (though tyro is the more common American spelling). Use of tyro in English has never been restricted to the original "young soldier" meaning of the Latin term. Writers in the 17th and 18th centuries wrote of tyros in various fields and occupations, and Herman Melville used tyro to refer to men new to whaling and life at sea. The word also has a long history of being used attributively—that is, directly before another noun—in phrases like "tyro reporter" and "tyro actors."
Synonyms
amateur, dilettante, dabbler, tyro mean a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status.
amateur often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials
; in sports it may also suggest not so much lack of skill but avoidance of direct remuneration.
dilettante may apply to the lover of an art rather than its skilled practitioner but usually implies elegant trifling in the arts and an absence of serious commitment.
dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence.
tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering.
Examples of tyro in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tyro.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Medieval Latin, from Latin tiro young soldier, tyro
1587, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Tyro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyro. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
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