volley

vol·ley

noun

pl. -·leys

1. the simultaneous discharge of a number of firearms or other weapons
2. the bullets, arrows, etc. discharged in this way
a burst of words or acts suggestive of this: a volley of curses, questions, etc.
Sports
1. the act of returning the ball, shuttlecock, etc. in certain games before it touches the ground
2. the flight of the ball, etc. before it touches the ground
3. loosely any extended exchange of shots, as in tennis or volleyball, esp. such an exchange in warming up for a game

Origin of volley

Middle French volee from Vulgar Latin an unverified form volata from feminine of Classical Latin volatus, past participle of volare, to fly

transitive verb

-·leyed, -·ley·ing

to discharge in or as in a volley
Sports to return (the ball, etc.) as a volley

to be discharged in or as in a volley
Sports
1. to return the ball, etc. as a volley
2. loosely to engage in a volley

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MLA Style

"volley." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/volley>.

APA Style

volley. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/volley

volley

noun

pl. vol·leys

a. A simultaneous discharge of a number of bullets or other projectiles.
b. The bullets or projectiles so discharged.
A group of remarks, expressions, or actions directed toward a certain recipient or audience: a volley of oaths; a volley of laughter.
Sports
a. An exchange of strokes in a court game, such as volleyball, ending when one side fails to make a good return and resulting in a point or the loss of service.
b. A stroke, kick, or other strike of the ball made before the ball touches the ground.
c. The flight of a ball before it touches the ground: kicked the soccer ball on the volley.

verb

vol·leyed, vol·ley·ing, vol·leys

verb

transitive

To discharge (projectiles) in a volley: volleyed musket shots at the attackers.
Sports To strike (a tennis ball, for example) before it touches the ground.
To direct or send in a mass or series: volleyed insults at each other.

verb

intransitive

To be discharged in a volley.
Sports To make a volley, especially in tennis.
To move or be directed rapidly, forcefully, or loudly in a mass or series: The hailstones volleyed down. Charges and countercharges volleyed through the courtroom.

Origin of volley

French volée from Old French from voler to fly from Latin volāre

Related Forms:

vol′ley·er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"volley." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/volley>.

APA Style

volley. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/volley

Noun

(plural volleys)

The simultaneous firing of a number of missiles or bullets; the projectiles so fired
A burst or emission of many things at once.
a volley of words
(sports) The flight of a ball just before it bounces
(sports) A shot in which the ball is played before it hits the ground
(cricket) A sending of the ball full to the top of the wicket.