volley

/ˈvɑli/

/ˈvɒli/

Other forms: volleys; volleyed; volleying

When an attacking army lets loose a barrage of bullets all at once, it's called a volley.

A volley of bullets, arrows, or rocks describes a large number of them being shot or thrown simultaneously. Another meaning of the noun volley involves just one projectile: a returned tennis ball, usually one that hasn't hit the ground before being smacked by a racket. The military meaning of volley has been around since the 1500's, while the sports meaning didn't arise until the late 1800's. The root word is the Latin volare, "to fly."

Definitions of volley

1. noun

   rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms, also used figuratively
   synonyms: burst, fusillade, salvo

   type of:

   fire, firing

   the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy
2. verb

   discharge in, or as if in, a volley
   type of:

   discharge

   pour forth or release
3. verb

   be dispersed in a volley
   type of:

   disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread out

   move away from each other
4. noun

   a tennis return made by hitting the ball before it bounces
   antonyms:

   ground stroke

   a tennis return made by hitting the ball after it has bounced once

   type of:

   return

   a tennis stroke that sends the ball back to the other player
5. verb

   make a volley
   type of:

   play

   participate in games or sport
6. verb

   hit before it touches the ground
   “volley the tennis ball”

   type of:

   hit

   cause to move by striking
7. verb

   utter rapidly
   “volley a string of curses”

   type of:

   emit, let loose, let out, utter

   express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words)