sally

/ˈsæli/

/ˈsæli/

Other forms: sallied; sallies

A sally is a military action, a sudden charge in the direction of the enemy. A sally sometimes has the advantage of taking the opposing army by surprise.

When soldiers who have been on the defensive, having retreated to a foxhole or fort, make an abrupt offensive attack on their opponents, it's a sally. Another word for this kind of sally is a sortie. You can also call a sudden funny remark or comeback a sally, especially during a witty, back-and-forth, or bantering kind of conversation. The word comes from the Middle French saillie, "a rushing forth," from the Latin salire, "to leap."

Definitions of sally

1. noun

   a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position
   synonyms: sortie

   type of:

   action, military action

   a military engagement
2. noun

   witty remark
   synonyms: crack, quip, wisecrack

   type of:

   comment, input, remark

   a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
3. noun

   a venture off the beaten path
   “a sally into the wide world beyond his home”

   synonyms: sallying forth

   type of:

   venture

   any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome