Wiktionary

sally

See also: Sally

English

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English saly, from Old English saliġ, sealh (“willow”). More at sallow.

Noun

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sally (plural sallies)

  1. A willow.
  2. Any tree that resembles a willow.
  3. An object made from the wood of a willow.
Derived terms
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Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
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Etymology 2

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Borrowed from French saillie, from sailli, the past participle of the verb saillir (“to leap forth”), itself from Latin salīre (“to leap”).

Noun

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sally (plural sallies)

  1. A sortie of troops from a besieged place against an enemy.
    • 1596, Philippe de Commynes, The historie of Philip de Commines Knight, Lord of Argenton‎[1], London: Ar. Hatfield, pages 50-51:
      The rest of his horsemen the Duke sent to his campe, bicause they heard a great noise there, and doubted the enimies sally, and indeede they had issued foorth thrise, but were alwaies repulsed, especially through the valiantns of the English men that the Duke left there behind him [...]
    • 1689, George Walker, A true account of the siege of London-Derry by the Reverend Mr. George Walker‎[2], London, page 24:
      The besieged made another Sally, and killed several of the Enemy at Penyburn-Hill, but were forced to Retreat, being pressed by the Enemies Horse, who charged us on all sides.
  2. A sudden rushing forth.
    Flocks of these birds stir up flying insects, which can then be picked off in quick sallies.
  3. (figuratively) A witty statement or quip, usually at the expense of one's interlocutor.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The First Doubt”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 39:
      Till then she had never formed an idea of one so gifted and so charming. She listened with astonishment to her companion's gay sallies, and answers, as piquant as they were ready.
    • 1957, Jack Kerouac, On the Road, Viking Press, →OCLC:
      Bull snuffed; he never paid any attention to her sallies but he heard them.
    • 2012 April 26, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits”, in The Onion AV Club‎[3]:
      The stakes are low and the story beats are incidental amid the rush of largely mild visual gags and verbal sallies like “Blood Island! So called because it’s the exact shape of some blood!”
  4. An excursion or side trip.
    • a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC:
      Everyone shall know a country better that makes often sallies into it, and traverses it up and down, than he that […] goes still round in the same track.
  5. A tufted woollen part of a bellrope, used to provide grip when ringing a bell.
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  • salient (cognate; both of these military terms come from a verb meaning "to leap forth", but in different ways)
Translations
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See also
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Verb

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sally (third-person singular simple present sallies, present participle sallying, simple past and past participle sallied)

  1. (intransitive) To make a sudden attack (e.g. on an enemy from a defended position).
    The troops sallied in desperation.
    A feeding strategy of some birds is to sally out from a perch to snatch an insect and then returning to the same or a different perch.
  2. (intransitive) To set out on an excursion; venture; depart (often followed by "forth").
    • 1876, The Shamrock, volume 14:
      So I tucked my violin under my arm, and sallied out after the old budgy ragman, determined to ease him of his load at the very first lonesome corner I could track him to.
    • 1942 July-August, “The Country Branch”, in Railway Magazine, page 194:
      Adverse comment begins with uncomplimentary observations on the somewhat harder seats, then reaches a crescendo when it is discovered that the perverse and unhurried train is actually going to wait for another connection which is running late, instead of sallying forth at once for the benefit of those already on board and leaving latecomers stranded.
    • 2007 September 30, Andrew Salmon, “Dogfights and daring in Korea's deep blue yonder”, in South China Morning Post‎[4], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 March 2024, Latest:
      Along the Manchurian frontier was a 160km strip of land the US pilots dubbed 'MiG Alley'. Beyond it lay the North Korean, Chinese and Russian squadrons. From those airbases, MiGs sallied forth to attack the bombers striking North Korea.
  3. (intransitive) To venture off the beaten path.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 3

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From salvation +‎ -y.

Noun

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sally (plural sallies)

  1. (New Zealand, slang) A member of the Salvation Army.
Synonyms
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Etymology 4

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Unknown.

Noun

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sally (plural sallies)

  1. A kind of stonefly.
  2. A wren.

Etymology 5

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

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sally

  1. (slang, drugs, Canada, US) The crystalline or powdered form of MDA.

References

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Anagrams

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