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salient
6 dictionary results for: salient
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
sa·li·ent 
[sey-lee-uhnt, seyl-yuhnt] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
[sey-lee-uhnt, seyl-yuhnt] Pronunciation Key –adjective
–noun
| 1. | prominent or conspicuous: salient traits. |
| 2. | projecting or pointing outward: a salient angle. |
| 3. | leaping or jumping: a salient animal. |
| 4. | Heraldry. (of a beast) represented as leaping: a lion salient. |
| 5. | a salient angle or part, as the central outward-projecting angle of a bastion or an outward projection in a battle line. |
| 6. | Physical Geography. a landform that extends out beyond its surroundings, as a spur projecting from the side of a mountain. Compare reentrant (def. 4). |
[Origin: 1555–65; < L salient- (s. of saliéns, prp. of salīre to spring, jump), equiv. to sali- verb s. + -ent- -ent]
] —Related forms
sa·li·ent·ly, adverb
—Synonyms 1. important; striking, remarkable.
—Antonyms 1. inconspicuous, unimportant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| sa·li·ent
(sā'lē-ənt, sāl'yənt) Pronunciation Key
adj.
n.
[Latin saliēns, salient-, present participle of salīre, to leap; see sel- in Indo-European roots.] sa'li·ent·ly adv. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
salient
salient
1562, "leaping," a heraldic term, from L. salientem (nom. saliens), prp. of salire "to leap," from PIE base *sel- "to jump" (cf. Gk. hallesthai "to leap," M.Ir. saltraim "I trample," and probably Skt. ucchalati "rises quickly"). The meaning "pointing outward" (preserved in military usage) is from 1687; that of "prominent, striking" first recorded 1840, from salient point (1672), which refers to the heart of an embryo, which seems to leap, and translates L. punctum saliens, going back to Aristotle's writings. Hence, the "starting point" of anything.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| salient | |
adjective | |
| 1. | having a quality that thrusts itself into attention; "an outstanding fact of our time is that nations poisoned by anti semitism proved less fortunate in regard to their own freedom"; "a new theory is the most prominent feature of the book"; "salient traits"; "a spectacular rise in prices"; "a striking thing about Picadilly Circus is the statue of Eros in the center"; "a striking resemblance between parent and child" [syn: outstanding] |
| 2. | (of angles) pointing outward at an angle of less than 180 degrees [ant: re-entrant] |
| 3. | represented as leaping (rampant but leaning forward) |
noun | |
| 1. | (military) the part of the line of battle that projects closest to the enemy |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Salient
Sa"li*ent\, a. [L. saliens, -entis, p. pr. of salire to leap; cf. F. saillant. See Sally, n. & v. i..]1. Moving by leaps or springs; leaping; bounding; jumping. "Frogs and salient animals." --Sir T. Browne. 2. Shooting out or up; springing; projecting. He had in himself a salient, living spring of generous and manly action. --Burke. 3. Hence, figuratively, forcing itself on the attention; prominent; conspicuous; noticeable. He [Grenville] had neither salient traits, nor general comprehensiveness of mind. --Bancroft. 4. (Math. & Fort.) Projecting outwardly; as, a salient angle; -- opposed to re["e]ntering. See Illust. of Bastion. 5. (Her.) Represented in a leaping position; as, a lion salient. Salient angle. See Salient, a., 4. Salient polygon (Geom.), a polygon all of whose angles are salient. Salient polyhedron (Geom.), a polyhedron all of whose solid angles are salient.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Salient
Sa"li*ent\, a. (Fort.) A salient angle or part; a projection.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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