half volley

¹ American  

noun

1. (in tennis, racquets, etc.) a stroke in which the ball is hit the moment it bounces from the ground.

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half-volley ² American  

[haf-vol-ee, hahf-] / ˈhæfˌvɒl i, ˈhɑf- /

verb (used with or without object)

half-volleyed, half-volleying

1. to make or stroke with a half volley.

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half volley British  

noun

1. a stroke or shot in which the ball is hit immediately after it bounces

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verb

1. to hit or kick (a ball) immediately after it bounces

Other Word Forms

• half-volleyer noun

Etymology

Origin of half volley¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Origin of half-volley²

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Mead then goes for the half volley, fizzing the ball towards the far post, but it drifts a whisker wide of the target.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2024

Kane fired wide on the half volley soon after before he made a costly error to allow the away side to double its advantage in the 73rd.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2023

But the home side always looked like they could grab a second, and they did when Vetlesen lost Bitton in the box and knocked home Morten Konradsen's cut-back on the half volley.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2022

Eventually the ball fell to Williams, who fired a 12-yard half volley inside the far post.

From Washington Post • Jul. 30, 2021

At four o'clock, when the score stood at two hundred and twenty for no wicket, Barnes, greatly daring, smote lustily at a rather wide half volley and was caught at short slip for thirty-three.

From Mike and Psmith by Wodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville)