fusillade

[ fyoo-suh-leyd, -lahd, -zuh- ]

/ ˈfyu səˌleɪd, -ˌlɑd, -zə- /

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See synonyms for fusillade on Thesaurus.com

noun

a simultaneous or continuous discharge of firearms.

a general discharge or outpouring of anything: a fusillade of questions.

verb (used with object), fu·sil·lad·ed, fu·sil·lad·ing.

to attack or shoot by a fusillade.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of fusillade

First recorded in 1795–1805; from French, equivalent to fusill(er) “to shoot” (see fusil¹) + -ade-ade¹

Words nearby fusillade

fusible metal, fusiform, fusil, fusile, fusilier, fusillade, fusilli, fusion, fusion bomb, fusionism, fusion, nuclear

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fusillade in a sentence

Nonetheless, the truck gunning in reverse was enough to trigger a fusillade of 19 bullets from McCormick and Phillips, who said they feared for each other’s lives.
‘That Is Evil’: Mom Demands Justice in Her Son’s Fatal Police Shooting in Colorado|Andrew Boryga|September 10, 2021|The Daily Beast
They can expect a fusillade of incoming from Gillibrand and her colleagues.
Senate Hearings Will Probe Sexual Assaults in the Armed Services|Lloyd Grove|March 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
During the whole day there was an incessant fusillade, the rebelsʼ chief stronghold being the Recoleto Convent.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Off to the left had sounded a series of sharp explosions, as a fusillade of rifle shots.
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O|Clair Blank

They had not long to wait; a sharp fusillade began, mingled with the cries and yells of the assailants.
The Border Rifles|Gustave Aimard
Just ahead the rioters had turned to pour a fusillade of fifty shots into a house from which a revolver shot had been fired.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants|H. Irving Hancock
They saluted the dawn with a noisy fusillade that ran along the miles of winding line.
Si Klegg, Book 2 (of 6)|John McElroy

British Dictionary definitions for fusillade

fusillade

/ (ˌfjuːzɪˈleɪd, -ˈlɑːd) /

noun

a simultaneous or rapid continual discharge of firearms

a sudden outburst, as of criticism

verb

(tr) to attack with a fusillade

Word Origin for fusillade

C19: from French, from fusiller to shoot; see fusil 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fusillade

Origin of fusillade

Words nearby fusillade

Words related to fusillade

How to use fusillade in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fusillade

Word Origin for fusillade