salvo1
/ˈsalvəʊ
/noun (plural salvos or salvoes)
1A simultaneous discharge of artillery or other guns in a battle: a deafening salvo of shots rang out another salvo crashed nearer to the German positions...
- Three days later, after the Leningrad - Moscow railway had been cleared, Stalin declared the blockade broken, and that night the city's anti-aircraft batteries fired victory salvos while the battle rumbled on the western horizon.
- The battle began with a salvo from the Teutonic Order's bombards but, like most artillery of the time, that had little effect in the open field.
- Hmas Australia did her duty on convoys, and once relieved she was thrust into the war and found herself battling French cruisers off Dakar in early 1940 delivering punishing salvos and receiving her first scars of battle.
1.1A number of weapons released from one or more aircraft in quick succession.On Thursday and Friday, April 11 and 12, along with a CBS television crew, I was able to hide on a hillside overlooking the camp and watch the Apache helicopter gunships deliver their deadly salvoes.
1.2A sudden, vigorous, or aggressive act or series of acts: the pardons provoked a salvo of accusations...
- In his opening salvo of the contest, for instance, Mr Clarke devoted more than half an hour of his declaration speech to saying why he wasn't going to talk about the euro and barely mentioned any other subject.
- Yesterday the first salvos were fired in a battle over plans for a giant incinerator in Belvedere.
- Neil's questioning could be viewed as the opening salvo in the battle for next year's elections to the Scottish parliament, with national economic performance likely to be one of the key issues after health, education and transport.
Origin
Late 16th century (earlier as salve): from French salve, Italian salva 'salutation'.
salute from Late Middle English:
Salute is from Latin salutare ‘greet, pay one's respects to’, from salus, ‘health, welfare, greeting’ as greetings usually involve wishing someone good health. The same root gives us salutary (Late Middle English) originally ‘conducive to health’ and salubrious (mid 16th century) ‘healthful’. Salvo (late 16th century) comes, via Italian, from the Roman greeting salve, from salutare, and safety, salver, and save also go back to the same root.
Salvo2
/ˈsalvəʊ/noun (plural Salvos) Australian informal
A member of the Salvation Army.The Salvation Army's annual Red Shield Appeal is coming up in May, and the Salvos are looking for 100,000 volunteers nationwide to give a hand with the doorknock on the weekend of May 25-26....
- This week the Salvos revealed that there has been a 17% increase in people seeking help this Christmas.
- The Salvos are associated with alcoholics, drug addiction, and aged care - across the whole range of social services.
Origin
Late 19th century: abbreviation of salvation.