volley

American  

[vol-ee] / ˈvɒl i /

noun

volleys plural

1. the simultaneous discharge of a number of missiles or firearms.

2. the missiles so discharged.

3. a burst or outpouring of many things at once or in quick succession.

   a volley of protests.

4. Tennis.

   1. the flight of the ball before it hits the ground.

   2. the return of the ball before it hits the ground.

5. Soccer. a kick of the ball before it bounces on the ground.

6. Cricket. a ball so bowled that it hits the wicket before it touches the ground.

7. Mining. the explosion of several charges at one time.

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verb (used with object)

volleyed, volleying

1. to discharge in or as in a volley.

2. Tennis. to return (the ball) before it hits the ground.

3. Soccer. to kick (the ball) before it bounces on the ground.

4. Cricket. to bowl (a ball) in such a manner that it is pitched near the top of the wicket.

verb (used without object)

volleyed, volleying

1. to fly or be discharged together, as missiles.

2. to move or proceed with great rapidity, as in a volley.

3. to fire a volley; sound together, as firearms.

4. Tennis, Soccer. to return the ball before it touches the ground.

volley British  

/ ˈvɒlɪ /

noun

1. the simultaneous discharge of several weapons, esp firearms

2. the projectiles or missiles so discharged

3. a burst of oaths, protests, etc, occurring simultaneously or in rapid succession

4. sport a stroke, shot, or kick at a moving ball before it hits the ground Compare half volley

5. cricket the flight of such a ball or the ball itself

6. the simultaneous explosion of several blastings of rock

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verb

1. to discharge (weapons, etc) in or as if in a volley or (of weapons, etc) to be discharged

2. (tr) to utter vehemently or sound loudly and continuously

3. (tr) sport to strike or kick (a moving ball) before it hits the ground

4. (intr) to issue or move rapidly or indiscriminately

Other Word Forms

• volleyer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of volley

1565–75; < Middle French volee flight, noun use of feminine past participle of voler to fly < Latin volāre

Explanation

When an attacking army lets loose a barrage of bullets all at once, it's called a volley. A volley of bullets, arrows, or rocks describes a large number of them being shot or thrown simultaneously. Another meaning of the noun volley involves just one projectile: a returned tennis ball, usually one that hasn't hit the ground before being smacked by a racket. The military meaning of volley has been around since the 1500's, while the sports meaning didn't arise until the late 1800's. The root word is the Latin volare, "to fly."

Example Sentences

Footage shared by the ABC's Senior White House Correspondent Selina Wang showed her taking cover as a volley of shots could be heard across the North Lawn.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

However, Prizmic continued to get on top of the baseline exchanges and chase down Djokovic's drop shots, breaking for a 3-2 lead as the Serb sent a volley long.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Iran targeted countries across the Middle East with a fresh volley of missiles Wednesday, hours after US President Donald Trump signalled tentative progress in diplomatic efforts to end the war.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

It didn’t take very long for investors to react to this latest volley, with all three major U.S. stock indexes extending their declines on Monday.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

Frank dove for cover as a volley of rocks slammed overhead.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• burst
• crossfire
• firing
• gunfire
• salvo