sally

[ sal-ee ]

/ ˈsæl i /

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See synonyms for sally on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR sally

5 quip, witticism.

See synonyms for sally on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

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Origin of sally

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

OTHER WORDS FROM sally

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

Words nearby sally

sallenders, sallet, sallow, sallowy, Sallust, sally, Sally Army, sally lunn, sally port, salmagundi, Salmanazar

Other definitions for sally (2 of 2)

Sally

or Sal·lie

[ sal-ee ]

/ ˈsæl i /

noun

a female given name, form of Sarah.

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

How to use sally in a sentence

Anderson and Sally were using basketball as a contrast to soccer, the primary subject of their book, in which they argued persuasively that the latter is a weak-link game.
The Suns’ Rotation Doesn’t Have A Weak Link|Ben Dowsett|July 13, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Meanwhile, if you’re wondering how Sally is doing, the woman searching for a job at the start of this episode.
Podcast: Hired by an algorithm|Anthony Green|June 23, 2021|MIT Technology Review
For many of the software developer jobs she applied to, Sally was assessed not by a human but by artificial intelligence—in the form of services like resume screeners or video interviews.
Podcast: Hired by an algorithm|Anthony Green|June 23, 2021|MIT Technology Review
It’s always been a part of the AP but I think Sally brings it to a greater extent.
Incoming Washington Post editor Sally Buzbee eyes international expansion, reaching younger readers|Sara Guaglione|May 21, 2021|Digiday

I followed Sally’s advice and headed just a few short miles away to downtown Woodstock.
Recharge in Woodstock, Va.|Anthony Istrico|May 13, 2021|Washington Blade
KSM enters the complex through a “Sally Port,” a series of gates designed to allow just one vehicle in at a time.
9/11 Mastermind Is Afraid of the Ladies|Tim Mak|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It will be the case of can the man and woman just be friends, in the answering of the question from When Harry Met Sally.
From ‘The Good Wife’ to ‘The Imitation Game’: Matthew Goode Wages His Charm Offensive|Kevin Fallon|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Just try to find a mention of Sally Hemings at the Jefferson Memorial.
God vs. the Internet. And the Winner is…|Michael Schulson|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sally Beauty did not respond for comment by the time this article was published.
The Misogynistic Companies Jumping On The Breast Cancer Bandwagon|Emily Shire|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sally Beauty has also partnered with Susan G. Komen to sell special pink cosmetic products.
The Misogynistic Companies Jumping On The Breast Cancer Bandwagon|Emily Shire|October 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This sally drew forth a general laugh, in which Miss Watling joined as heartily as the rest.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
Folks are always giving the Stanleys half-worn clothes for little Sally, more than Sally can ever make use of.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose
“Oh, we know you are always gadding over here,” said Sally, laughing.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose
When I came to serve the dessert Sally was watching me with her eagle eye and her mouth watering.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn|Margaret Penrose
Page after page—full of caustic satire, humorous sally and profound epigram—fairly bristles with merriment.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for sally (1 of 3)

sally¹

/ (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 forms of sally

sallier, noun

Word Origin for sally

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

British Dictionary definitions for sally (2 of 3)

sally²

/ (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

British Dictionary definitions for sally (3 of 3)

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

sally

OTHER WORDS FOR sally

Origin of sally

OTHER WORDS FROM sally

Words nearby sally

Other definitions for sally (2 of 2)

or Sal·lie

Words related to sally

How to use sally in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sally (1 of 3)

Derived forms of sally

Word Origin for sally

British Dictionary definitions for sally (2 of 3)

Word Origin for sally

British Dictionary definitions for sally (3 of 3)