“Tyro” appeared in late Middle English, coming from the Latin “tiro” or the medieval “tyro,” both meaning “recruit” or “young soldier.” Writers in the 17th and 18th centuries expanded this original definition to describe people who are novices in all kinds of occupations. More modern usages place the word as an attributive noun, which describes another noun immediately following it. For instance, for a tyro karateka (karate practitioner), it takes roughly three to five years of consistent practice to earn a black belt.