English Online Dictionary. What means sally? What does sally mean?
English
Alternative forms
- salley (obsolete)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈsæli/
- Rhymes: -æli
Etymology 1
From Middle English saly, from Old English saliġ, sealh (“willow”). More at sallow.
Noun
sally (plural sallies)
- A willow.
- Any tree that resembles a willow.
- An object made from the wood of a willow.
Derived terms
- sally-picker
- sally rod
Translations
Etymology 2
Borrowed from French saillie, from sailli, the past participle of the verb saillir (“to leap forth”), itself from Latin salīre (“to leap”).
Noun
sally (plural sallies)
- A sortie of troops from a besieged place against an enemy.
- A sudden rushing forth.
- (figuratively) A witty statement or quip, usually at the expense of one's interlocutor.
- An excursion or side trip.
- A tufted woollen part of a bellrope, used to provide grip when ringing a bell.
Related terms
- salient (cognate; both of these military terms come from a verb meaning "to leap forth", but in different ways)
Translations
See also
- sally port
Verb
sally (third-person singular simple present sallies, present participle sallying, simple past and past participle sallied)
- (intransitive) To make a sudden attack (e.g. on an enemy from a defended position).
- (intransitive) To set out on an excursion; venture; depart (often followed by "forth").
- (intransitive) To venture off the beaten path.
Derived terms
- sally forth
Translations
Etymology 3
From salvation + -y.
Noun
sally (plural sallies)
- (New Zealand, slang) A member of the Salvation Army.
Synonyms
- Salvo
Related terms
- Sally Army
Etymology 4
Unknown.
Noun
sally (plural sallies)
- A kind of stonefly.
- A wren.
Etymology 5
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun
sally
- (slang, drugs, Canada, US) The crystalline or powdered form of MDA.
References
- “sally”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Anagrams
- Sylla, lylas, y'all's, y'alls