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sally

 - 5 dictionary results

sal⋅ly

  [sal-ee] noun, plural -lies, verb, -lied, -ly⋅ing.
Use sally in a Sentence
–noun
1. a sortie of troops from a besieged place upon an enemy.
2. a sudden rushing forth or activity.
3. an excursion or trip, usually off the main course.
4. an outburst or flight of passion, fancy, etc.: a sally of anger.
5. a clever, witty, or fanciful remark.
6. 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)
7. to make a sally, as a body of troops from a besieged place.
8. to set out on a side trip or excursion.
9. to set out briskly or energetically.
10. (of things) to issue forth.
Origin:
1535–45; < MF saillie attack, n. use of fem. ptp. of saillir to rush forward < L salīre to leap

Related forms:
sal⋅li⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
5. quip, witticism.

Sal⋅ly

  [sal-ee]
–noun
a female given name, form of Sarah.
Also, Sallie.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To sally
sal·ly   (sāl'ē)   
intr.v.   sal·lied, sal·ly·ing, sal·lies

  1. To rush out or leap forth suddenly.

  2. To issue suddenly from a defensive or besieged position to attack an enemy.

  3. To set out on a trip or excursion: sallied forth to see the world.

n.   pl. sal·lies

  1. A sudden rush forward; a leap.

  2. An assault from a defensive position; a sortie.

  3. A sudden emergence into action or expression; an outburst.

  4. A sudden quick witticism; a quip. See Synonyms at joke.

  5. A venturing forth; a jaunt.


[From French saillie, a sally, from Old French, from feminine past participle of salir, to rush forward, from Latin salīre, to leap; see sel- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

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. Sally Ann as a nickname for Salvation Army is recorded from 1927.

sally 
1542 (n.), 1560 (v.), from M.Fr. saillie "a rushing forth," noun use of fem. pp. of saillir "to leap," from L. salire "to leap" (see salient).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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