sortie

[ sawr-tee ]

noun

1. a rapid movement of troops from a besieged place to attack the besiegers.
2. a body of troops involved in such a movement.
3. the flying of an airplane on a combat mission.

verb (used without object)

, sor·tied, sor·tie·ing.

1. to go on a sortie; sally forth.

sortie

/ ˈsɔːtɪ /

noun

1. 1. (of troops, etc) the act of emerging from a contained or besieged position
   2. the troops doing this
2. an operational flight made by one aircraft
3. a short or relatively short return trip

verb

1. intr to make a sortie

Word History and Origins

Origin of sortie¹

1680–90; < French, noun use of feminine past participle of sortir to go out

Word History and Origins

Origin of sortie¹

C17: from French: a going out, from sortir to go out

Example Sentences

Beijing is already sending air and naval sorties close to Taiwan territory with alarming frequency.

From Time

That’s appropriate, as its agents here are engaged in a kind of war, flying constant sorties against enemy forces that could spread illness across these subtropical islands if left unchecked.

From Time

My grandfather, his father, was a WW1 ace and was on the sortie which downed the Red Baron.

From The Daily Beast

Lieutenant-Colonel Abercromby, who had led the only serious sortie from Yorktown, chewed his sword in impotent rage.

From The Daily Beast

Many ladies do not like to display their "sortie du soire" before a crowded room, and you will be keeping their escort waiting.

From Project Gutenberg

By September the enemy had opened their trenches round Perpignan, and Prignon was entrusted with a night sortie.

From Project Gutenberg

Bonaparte attacked Valetta, in Malta, and in a sortie the Maltese lost the standard of their order.

From Project Gutenberg

But the garrison made a sortie, seized the towers, destroyed them, and killed or captured the soldiers who manned them.

From Project Gutenberg

In a sortie Bohemond the crafty and brave was wounded; Tancred's and Godfrey's valor ended in repulse.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• raid