sally

[sal-ee]

SEE MORE 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.

Origin of sally

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

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

Synonyms for sally

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sally ON THESAURUS.COM

5. quip, witticism.

Sally

or Sal·lie

[sal-ee]

noun

a female given name, form of Sarah.

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

Related Words for sally

jaunt, outing, sortie, excursion, journey, frolic, escapade, trip

Examples from the Web for sally

Contemporary Examples of sally

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
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
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
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
My father lost his last surviving sibling, my Aunt Sally, in 2007.
Tom Sizemore’s Revenge: On Tom Cruise’s Scientology Recruitment, Drugs, and Craving a Comeback
Marlow Stern
September 26, 2014

Historical Examples of sally

The laughter at this sally was all it should have been, even the host joining in it.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Gray Peter had been fresher than Sally at the end of the run of the day before.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
All in all, Gray Peter was a glorious machine; Sally was a tricky intelligence.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
Gray Peter's heart was never in doubt, but what would Sally's courage be in a pinch?
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
If Andrew had let out Sally she would have walked away from them all, but he dared not do that.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand

British Dictionary definitions for sally

sally

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

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

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 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.

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