salvo

[sal-voh]

See more synonyms for salvo on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural sal·vos, sal·voes.

a simultaneous or successive discharge of artillery, bombs, etc.
a round of fire given as a salute.
a round of cheers or applause.

Origin of salvo

1585–95; earlier salva < Italian ≪ Latin salvē salve³

salvo

[sal-voh]

noun, plural sal·vos. Archaic.

an excuse or quibbling evasion.
something to save a person's reputation or soothe a person's feelings.

Origin of salvo

1635–45; < Latin salvō, ablative of salvus safe, found in legal phrases

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for salvo

volley, barrage, bombardment, cannonade, gunfire, burst

Examples from the Web for salvo

Contemporary Examples of salvo

In Chicago, too, a 100-gun salvo went off and every bell in the city rang out.
Atlanta’s Fall Foretold The End Of Civil War Bloodshed
Marc Wortman
September 1, 2014
Back in 2007, Roberts threw his first salvo in the affirmative action wars.
Affirmative Action Isn’t Oppressive, but the Roberts Court Wants to End It Anyway
Mike Sacks
April 23, 2014
He also strongly urged supporters not to interpret the change in hiring policy as a salvo in war over gay marriage.
World Vision’s Gay Compromise
Brad Kramer
March 26, 2014
The salvo followed the test of another four missiles on Friday, February 21.
The Ominous Meaning of North Korea’s Missile Launches
Gordon G. Chang
February 28, 2014
But that was just the first salvo in a broader war for independence.
Marvin Miller, the Labor Leader Who Revolutionized Baseball
Allen St. John
November 28, 2012

Historical Examples of salvo

There never was a rogue, who had not a salvo to himself for being so.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
Beyond the Po they too had been awaiting the salvo of artillery that should be their signal to advance.
The Strolling Saint
Raphael Sabatini
There was also no indication that Hoddy's salvo had had any effect on them.
Lone Star Planet
Henry Beam Piper and John Joseph McGuire
(p. 419) A salvo of profanity from the train crew followed them.
Roosevelt in the Bad Lands
H. Hagedorn.
In your presence I can do so without departing from my principles, salvo pudoribus.
The Prophet of Berkeley Square
Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for salvo

salvo

noun plural -vos or -voes

a discharge of fire from weapons in unison, esp on a ceremonial occasion
concentrated fire from many weapons, as in a naval battle
an outburst, as of applause

Word Origin for salvo

C17: from Italian salva, from Old French salve, from Latin salvē! greetings! from salvēre to be in good health, from salvus safe

salvo

noun plural -vos rare

an excuse or evasion
an expedient to save a reputation or soothe hurt feelings
(in legal documents) a saving clause; reservation

Word Origin for salvo

C17: from such Medieval Latin phrases as salvō iurē the right of keeping safe, from Latin salvus safe

Salvo

noun plural -vos

Australian slang 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 salvo

1719, alteration of salva (1590s) "simultaneous discharge of guns," from Italian salva "salute, volley" (cf. French salve, 16c., from Italian), from Latin salve "hail!," literally "be in good health!," the usual Roman greeting, regarded as imperative of salvere "to be in good health," but properly vocative of salvus "healthy" (see safe (adj.)). The notion is of important visitors greeted with a volley of gunfire into the air; applied afterward to any concentrated fire from guns.