sally

Plural: sallies

Noun

• witty remark
• a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position
• a venture off the beaten path
  • "a sally into the wide world beyond his home"
• A willow.
• Any tree that resembles a willow.
• An object made from the wood of a willow.
• A sortie of troops from a besieged place against an enemy.
• A sudden rushing forth.
• 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.
• A member of the Salvation Army.
• A kind of stonefly.
• A wren.
• The crystalline or powdered form of MDA.

Verb

• To make a sudden attack (e.g. on an enemy from a defended position).
• To set out on an excursion; venture; depart (often followed by "forth").
• To venture off the beaten path.

Examples

• "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."
• "Flocks of these birds stir up flying insects, which can then be picked off in quick sallies."
• "The troops sallied in desperation."

Synonyms

crack, quip, sallying forth, Salvo, sortie, wisecrack

Related Words

salient, Sally Army, sally port