SALLY
What does "SALLY" mean?
A sudden charge out from a defensive position, or a witty retort.
Meanings
- A sudden rush of troops from a besieged place against the enemy; a sortie. The garrison made a daring sally at dawn to burn the siege engines.
- A witty or lively remark; a clever retort. Her quick sally drew laughter from the whole table. formal
- To set out or rush forth, especially briskly or suddenly (often 'sally forth'). They sallied forth into the storm without an umbrella.
Word origin
From French 'saillie' ('a rushing forth'), from 'saillir' ('to leap, rush'), from Latin 'salire' ('to leap'); the same Latin root underlies 'salient'.
Remember it
A SALLY makes you LEAP-its Latin root 'salire' means 'to jump', the same root behind 'salient' and 'somersault'.
A little poem
The gates crack open at the gray of dawn,
a sudden spear-bright rush across the moat-
then wit can sally too, and leap, and be gone.
tercet
Wordplay
- The clever soldier was famous for two kinds of sally: one charged the enemy, the other charged the conversation.
What it teaches
A sharp remark and a sudden charge share a root: both are courage choosing the moment to leap.
Quick facts
What does SALLY mean?
A sudden charge out from a defensive position, or a witty retort.
Is SALLY a valid word?
Yes — SALLY is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is SALLY?
SALLY has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does SALLY come from?
From French 'saillie' ('a rushing forth'), from 'saillir' ('to leap, rush'), from Latin 'salire' ('to leap'); the same Latin root underlies 'salient'.
What can SALLY teach us?
A sharp remark and a sudden charge share a root: both are courage choosing the moment to leap.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.