frecciata

dig, jibe, pointed remark

noun frech-CHAH-tah Rare

Origin: From freccia, 'arrow' + augmentative/suffixed -ata.

Usage Note

Frecciata literally means 'an arrow shot' but is almost always used figuratively for a barbed or sarcastic remark aimed at someone — lanciare una frecciata ('to fire a dig at someone'). It is always feminine. The imagery of an arrow (freccia) underlies the metaphor of a sharp, targeted comment.

Examples

"Ha lanciato una frecciata al suo collega durante la riunione."

Natural Translation

She fired a dig at her colleague during the meeting.

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