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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A simultaneous discharge of firearms.
  2. n. The simultaneous release of a rack of bombs from an aircraft.
  3. n. The projectiles or bombs thus released.
  4. n. Something resembling a release or discharge of bombs or firearms, as:
  5. n. A sudden outburst, as of cheers or praise.
  6. n. A forceful verbal or written assault.
  7. n. A mental provision or reservation.
  8. n. Law A saving clause.
  9. n. An expedient for protecting one's reputation or for soothing one's conscience.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. An exception; a reservation; an excuse; a saving fact or clause.
  2. n. A general discharge of guns intended as a salute.
  3. n. A concentrated fire from a greater or less number of pieces of artillery, for the purpose of breaching, etc., the simultaneous concussion of a number of cannon-balls on masonry, or even earthwork, producing a very destructive effect.
  4. n. The combined shouts or cheers of a multitude, generally expressive of honor, esteem, admiration, etc.: as, salvos of applause.

Wiktionary

  1. n. An exception; a reservation; an excuse.
  2. n. A concentrated fire from pieces of artillery, as in endeavoring to make a break in a fortification; a volley.
  3. n. By extension, any volley, as in an argument or debate.
  4. n. A salute paid by a simultaneous, or nearly simultaneous, firing of a number of cannon.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. An exception; a reservation; an excuse.
  2. n. A concentrated fire from pieces of artillery, as in endeavoring to make a break in a fortification; a volley.
  3. n. A salute paid by a simultaneous, or nearly simultaneous, firing of a number of cannon.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. rapid simultaneous discharge of firearms
  2. n. a sudden outburst of cheers
  3. n. an outburst resembling the discharge of firearms or the release of bombs

Etymologies

  1. Italian salva, from French salve, from Latin salvē, hail, imperative of salvēre, to be in good health, from salvus, safe; see sol- in Indo-European roots.Latin salvō (as in Medieval Latin salvō iūre, saving the right), ablative of salvus, safe; see safe.

Examples

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Comments

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  • minerva There never was a rogue, who had not a salvo to himself for being so.

    Lovelace to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson Dec 19, 2007

  • minerva Archaic: a bad excuse, evasion, quibble. Dec 19, 2007

‘salvo’ has been looked up 1898 times, loved by 5 people, added to 27 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 8.