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Definition of "sally" [sal•ly]

  • To rush out or leap forth suddenly. (verb-intransitive)
  • To issue suddenly from a defensive or besieged position to attack an enemy. (verb-intransitive)
  • To set out on a trip or excursion: sallied forth to see the world. (verb-intransitive)
  • A sudden rush forward; a leap. (noun)
  • An assault from a defensive position; a sortie. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "sally" in a sentence
  • "'Squander the hell-rook ranks sally to molest him' means 'Scatter the ranks that sally to molest him': but since the words _squander_ and _sally_ occupy similar positions in the two sections of the verse, and are enforced by a similar accentuation, the second verb deprived of its pronoun will follow the first and appear as an imperative; and there is nothing to prevent its being so taken but the contradiction that it makes in the meaning; whereas the grammar should expose and enforce the meaning, not have to be determined by the meaning."
  • "And as you said, most jails do have what they call a sally port."
  • "Miranda urged him to come over to the insurgent side but Santa Anna made a bold sally from the city and broke the siege."