VOLLEY • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Volley

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/vˈɑli/ Listen

noun

Volley n. (pl. volleys)

1.

A flight of missiles, as arrows, bullets, or the like; the simultaneous discharge of a number of small arms. "Fiery darts in flaming volleys flew." "Each volley tells that thousands cease to breathe."

2.

A burst or emission of many things at once; as, a volley of words. "This volley of oaths." "Rattling nonsense in full volleys breaks."

3.

(a)

(Tennis) A return of the ball before it touches the ground.

(b)

(Cricket) A sending of the ball full to the top of the wicket.

Half volley.

(a)

(Tennis) A return of the ball immediately after is has touched the ground.

(b)

(Cricket) A sending of the ball so that after touching the ground it flies towards the top of the wicket.

On the volley, at random. (Obs.) "What we spake on the volley begins work."

Volley gun, a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots simultaneously; a kind of mitrailleuse.

verb

Volley v. t. (past & past part. volleyed; pres. part. volleying) To discharge with, or as with, a volley.

Volley v. i.

1.

To be thrown out, or discharged, at once; to be discharged in a volley, or as if in a volley; to make a volley or volleys.

2.

(a)

(Tennis) To return the ball before it touches the ground.

(b)

(Cricket) To send the ball full to the top of the wicket.

See images of 'Volley'

Etymology of 'Volley'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Volley" Quotes from Famous Books

... a volley; Lieutenant Wormwood was killed instantly, while Jacob's father was so seriously wounded that he fell from his horse, and, a few seconds later, found himself a ...

— The Minute Boys of the Mohawk Valley • James Otis

... Prince Rupert falls back into the lane a little, to lead the other forces into his ambush of dragoons. These tactics do not come naturally to him, however; nor does he like the practice of the time, that two bodies of cavalry should ride up within pistol-shot of each other, and exchange a volley before they charge. He rather anticipates, in his style of operations, the famous order of Frederick the Great: "The King hereby forbids all officers of cavalry, on pain of being broke with ignominy, ever to allow ...

— Atlantic Monthly, Volume 3, No. 20, June, 1859 • Various

... upon which the brig rocked and swayed heavily while her lofty trucks described wide arcs across the paling sky overhead, from which the stars were vanishing one after another before the advance of the pallid dawn. And at every lee roll her canvas flapped with a rattle as of a volley of musketry to the masts, sending down a smart shower from the dew-saturated cloths upon the deck, to fill again with the report of a nine-pounder and a great slatting of sheets and blocks as the ship recovered herself and rolled ...

— The Pirate Slaver - A Story of the West African Coast • Harry Collingwood

... us," she laughed. "Two of the fishermen from Wells sailed in a little too close to the shed yesterday and the soldiers fired a volley at them." ...

— The Kingdom of the Blind • E. Phillips Oppenheim

... that side," said the policeman, while Mr. Filer discharged at the door a volley of sharp knocks, at the same ...

— The Bostonians, Vol. II (of II) • Henry James

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