• (RP) IPA: /ə(ʊ)ˈveɪʃn/
• (GA) IPA: /oʊˈveɪʃ(ə)n/

ovation (plural ovations)

1. (Ancient Rome) A victory ceremony of less importance than a triumph#Noun|triumph.
   • 1703, “Triumph ↗”, in An Universal, Historical, Geographical, Chronological and Poetical Dictionary, […] In Two Volumes, volume II, London: Printed for J. Hartley, […]; W. Turner, […]; and Tho[mas] Hodgson, […], OCLC 642289644 ↗:

     Triumph, a Solemn Honour done to Generals after great Victories, receiving them into Town with Publick Acclamations; there were two ſorts among the Romans; the Great, that was ſimply called Tr[i]umph; and the Little called, Ovation; [...] [I]t was by Special Priviledge that L. Cornelius Lentulus, Proconſul, was admitted to this Honour of an Ovation, in 553. [...]

2. (by extension) A (ceremony for the) recognition of some achievement.
   • 1691, [Anthony Wood], “Fasti Oxonienses”, in Athenæ Oxonienses. An Exact History of All the Writers and Bishops who have had Their Education in the Most Ancient and Famous University of Oxford from the Fifteenth Year of King Henry the Seventh, Dom. 1500, to the End of the Year 1690. […], volume (please specify ), London: Printed for Tho[mas] Bennet […], columns 768–769 ↗:

     {{#if:May 19. [1649] ''{{w|

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898)​, Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., OCLC 222716698 ↗, page 78 ↗:

     Although the Celebrity was almost impervious to sarcasm, he was now beginning to exhibit visible signs of uneasiness, the consciousness dawning upon him that his eccentricity was not receiving the ovation it merited.

3. (by extension) prolonged#Adjective|Prolonged enthusiastic applause.

• French: ovation
• German: Ovation, Beifallssturm, tosender Beifall
• Italian: ovazione, applauso
• Portuguese: ovação
• Russian: ова́ция
• Spanish: ovación

ovation (ovations, present participle ovationing; past and past participle ovationed)

1. (ambitransitive, informal, rare) To give#Verb|give (someone) an ovation (prolonged#Adjective|prolonged enthusiastic applause).

   Synonyms: ovate

ovation (uncountable)

1. (zoology, obsolete, rare) The act#Noun|act of lay#Verb|laying egg#Noun|eggs.