sally

[ sal-ee ]

/ ˈsæl i /

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noun, plural sal·lies.

a sortie of troops from a besieged place upon an enemy.

a sudden rushing forth or activity.

an excursion or trip, usually off the main course.

an outburst or flight of passion, fancy, etc.: a sally of anger.

a clever, witty, or fanciful remark.

Carpentry. a projection, as of the end of a rafter beyond the notch by which the rafter is fitted over the wall plate.

verb (used without object), sal·lied, sal·ly·ing.

to make a sally, as a body of troops from a besieged place.

to set out on a side trip or excursion.

to set out briskly or energetically.

(of things) to issue forth.

Nearby words

Origin of sally

1535–45; < Middle French saillie attack, noun use of feminine past participle of saillir to rush forward < Latin salīre to leap

SYNONYMS FOR sally

5. quip, witticism.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sally ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formssal·li·er, nounout·sal·ly, verb (used with object), out·sal·lied, out·sal·ly·ing.un·sal·ly·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sallied

Leaving the Captain and the veteran as temporary guards, he sallied forth, followed by the lawyer and the two parsons.
Two Knapsacks|John Campbell
Had the Egyptians sallied forth to smite, scarce a sword would have flashed, so dear seemed martyrdom.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
As soon as it was really dark we all sallied forth, accompanied by guides this time, who were to show us the trenches.
Bullets & Billets|Bruce Bairnsfather
The next day on arriving in town he put up at the Charing Cross Hotel and then sallied out to see his friends.
By Sheer Pluck|G. A. Henty

Lockhart nodded his assent to the boast, and after cautioning the men who were left behind we sallied forth.
Blindfolded|Earle Ashley Walcott

British Dictionary definitions for sallied

sally

/ (ˈsælɪ) /

noun plural -lies

a sudden violent excursion, esp by besieged forces to attack the besiegers; sortie

a sudden outburst or emergence into action, expression, or emotion

an excursion or jaunt

a jocular retort

verb -lies, -lying or -lied (intr)

to make a sudden violent excursion

(often foll by forth) to go out on an expedition, etc

to come, go, or set out in an energetic manner

to rush out suddenly

Derived Formssallier, noun

Word Origin for sally

C16: from Old French saillie, from saillir to dash forwards, from Latin salīre to leap

sally

/ (ˈsælɪ) /

noun plural -lies

the lower part of a bell rope, where it is caught at handstroke, into which coloured wool is woven to make a grip

Word Origin for sally

C19: perhaps from an obsolete or dialect sense of sally 1 leaping movement

Sally

/ (ˈsælɪ) /

noun plural -lies

a member of the Salvation Army

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

Word Origin and History for sallied

sally

1540s, "a sudden rush, dash, or springing forth; specifically of troops from a besieged place, attacking the besiegers," from Middle French saillie "a rushing forth," noun use of fem. past participle of saillir "to leap," from Latin salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.)). Sally-port "gate or passage in a fortification to afford free egress to troops in making a sally" is from 1640s.

Sally

fem. proper name, alteration of Sarah (cf. Hal from Harry, Moll from Mary, etc.). Sally Lunn cakes (1780) supposedly named for the woman in Bath who first made them and sold them in the streets. Sally Ann as a nickname for Salvation Army is recorded from 1927.

sally

1540s, from sally (n.). Related: Sallied; sallying.

sally

noun, plural sal·lies.

verb (used without object), sal·lied, sal·ly·ing.

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Origin of sally

Examples from the Web for sallied

sally

noun plural -lies

verb -lies, -lying or -lied (intr)

Word Origin for sally

sally

noun plural -lies

Word Origin for sally

Sally

noun plural -lies

sally

Sally

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