volley

English

Etymology

From Middle French volée (“flight”), from Vulgar Latin volta, from Late Latin volatus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈvɒli/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈvɑli/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒli

Noun

volley (plural volleys)

1. The simultaneous firing of a number of missiles or bullets; the projectiles so fired.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:

     Fiery darts in flaming volies flew.

   • 1812, Lord Byron, “Canto I”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. A Romaunt, London: Printed for John Murray, ; William Blackwood, Edinburgh; and John Cumming, Dublin; by Thomas Davison, , →OCLC, stanza XXXVIII:

     Each volley tells that thousands cease to breathe.

   • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 30, in The Dust of Conflict‎:

     It was by his order the shattered leading company flung itself into the houses when the Sin Verguenza were met by an enfilading volley as they reeled into the calle.

2. A burst or emission of many things at once.

   a volley of words

   • 1625 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Staple of Newes. , London: I B for Robert Allot , published 1631, →OCLC, (please specify the page), (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     When we do speak at volley

   • 1835, G[eorge] Croly, “Memoir of Pope”, in Alexander Pope, The Works of Alexander Pope; , volume I, London: A J Valpy, , →OCLC, page 56:

     A whole volley of furious criticism was poured on the author [Alexander Pope] by those enemies whom his contempt had created, and his honest pride had justly disdained to propitiate.

3. (sports) The flight of a ball just before it bounces.
4. (sports) A shot in which the ball is played before it hits the ground.
   • 2011 October 1, John Sinnott, “Aston Villa 2–0 Wigan”, in BBC Sport‎:

     But there was nothing he could do about Villa's second when Agbonlahor crossed from the left and Bent finished with a precision volley.

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

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Cantonese: 窩利／窝利 (wo¹ lei^6-2)
• → German: Volley
• → Polish: wolej
• → Portuguese: vólei

Translations

Verb

volley (third-person singular simple present volleys, present participle volleying, simple past and past participle volleyed)

1. (transitive) To fire a volley of shots
2. (sports, transitive) To hit the ball before it touches the ground
   • 2011 May 14, Peter Scrivener, “Sunderland 1–3 Wolverhampton”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Boudewijn Zenden hit the post from 25 yards for the home side before Jody Craddock volleyed Wolves ahead from 10 yards against his former club.

3. (intransitive) To be fired in a volley
4. (sports, intransitive) To make a volley
5. To sound together

Derived terms

• half volley
• scorpion volley
• volleyball

Translations

Anagrams

• Lovely, lovely

French

Etymology

Clipping of volleyball.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vɔ.lɛ/, /vɔ.le/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

volley m (uncountable)

1. (sports, colloquial) volleyball

   Synonyms: volley-ball, volleyball

Further reading

• “volley”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Italian

Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, derived from volleyball; a clipping.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɔl.lej/
• Rhymes: -ɔllej
• Hyphenation: vòl‧ley

Noun

volley m (invariable)

1. volleyball

   Synonym: pallavolo

Derived terms

• vollistico