(click/touch triangles for details)
Definition
a rapid discharge from multiple guns — as in battle or in a ceremonial saluteor:
a rapid series of points made in a verbal assault
Much more rarely, a salvo can reference a sudden burst of applause or cheers as in "There was a salvo of approval."
Even more rarely, salvo can reference an excuse or something to make someone feel better about their self-image as when Henry Fielding wrote, "Blifil had nothing more to do than to confirm these assertions; which he did with such equivocations, that he preserved a salvo for his conscience; and had the satisfaction of conveying a lie to his uncle, without the guilt of telling one."
- The battle ship fired salvo after salvo into the hills above the beach.
- The attack ads represent the opening salvo of an especially bitter fight anticipated this campaign season.
- She called a press conference to fire a salvo of facts and figures calculated to turn the public against the measure.
- Five days after Millennium fired the first salvo, Blomkvist's book The Mafia Banker appeared in bookshops.Stieg Larsson -- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
- Most targets we managed to hit by second salvo though all were defended except Mexico City.Robert A. Heinlein -- The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
- Inside Murillo's office, children usually fire the first salvo: "I know you don't love me.Sonia Nazario -- Enrique's Journey
- It was thefirst salvo of the election and a clear sign of the sort of contest it would become.David McCullough -- John Adams
- They fired three salvos above his grave.Thomas Mann -- The Magic Mountain
- Even though it had been blocked, the impact of this opening salvo rang like a thunderbolt and sparked the crowd into an excited buzz.Henry H. Neff -- The Fiend And The Forge
- Almost every day a salvo of shots would send the anguished whispers flying: How many this time?Corrie ten Boom -- The Hiding Place
- Oprichniki-security troops of Ivan the Terrible. down by another salvo.Boris Pasternak -- Doctor Zhivago
- Kara delivered one last salvo.Ted Dekker -- Black: The Birth of Evil
- The boys on the perimeter ducked under the lethal salvos; shrapnel was a fickle friend.James Bradley -- Flags of Our Fathers
- The first time is a glide-I target my ninth birthday party and hit it with the first salvo.Dan Simmons -- Hyperion
- "As we reached our destination that bright morning in our boat," Julia later exclaimed, "every gun in and near Washington burst forth—and such a salvo?Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard -- Killing Lincoln
- The bright melody drowned The salvos from the ghetto wall, And couples were flying High in the cloudless sky.Czeslaw Milosz -- Campo dei Fiori
- Questions on the virus were fired in salvos and answered in fashion.Ted Dekker -- Red: The Heroic Rescue
- That could be walking into a salvo-Robert Ludlum -- The Bourne Ultimatum
- Two smaller aircraft line the corridor with smoke, and the lead bomber salvos its payload, and eleven others follow suit.Anthony Doerr -- All the Light We Cannot See
- Perhaps from modesty of possession she responded to each salvo of amusement by bending closer over her list.F. Scott Fitzgerald -- Tender is the Night
Dictionary / pronunciation — Google®Dictionary list — Onelook.com®Wikipedia ArticlePictures — Google Images®
Search for other examples by interest
Interest — Source
General — Google News®General — Time® Magazine
General — Wikipedia®
Architecture — Google® books - Architecture
Business — Bloomberg®
Business — The Economist®
Classic Literature — Google® books - Classical Literature
Engineering — Google® books - Engineering
Engineering — Popular Mechanics®
Engineering — Discover Magazine®
Fine Arts & Music — Google® books - Art
History — Google® books - History
Human Behavior — Google® books - Psychology
Human Behavior — Psychology Today®
Law — FindLaw®
Law — Google® books - Law
Logic & Reasoning — Google® books - Reasoning
Medicine — Web MD®
Medicine — Google® books - Medicine
Nature & Ecology — National Geographic®
Nature & Ecology — Google® books - Nature
Personal Finance — Kiplinger® (Personal Finance)
Philosophy — Google® books - Philosophy
Public Policy & Politics — Newsweek®
Public Policy & Politics — Real Clear Politics®
Public Policy & Politics — Google® books - Politics
Religion & Spirtuality — Google® books - Religion
Religion - Christianity — Bible Gateway®
Religion - Christianity — Google® books - Christianity
Science — Popular Science®
Science — Scientific American®
Science — Google® books - Science
Sports — Sports Illustrated®