salvo

1 of 3

noun (1)

sal·​vo ˈsal-(ˌ)vō How to pronounce salvo (audio)
plural salvos or salvoes
1
a
: a simultaneous discharge of two or more guns in military action or as a salute
b
: the release all at one time of a rack of bombs or rockets (as from an airplane)
c
: a series of shots by an artillery battery with each gun firing one round in turn after a prescribed interval
d
: the bombs or projectiles released in a salvo
2
: something suggestive of a salvo: such as
a
: a sudden burst
a salvo of cheers
b
: a spirited attack
the first salvo of a political campaign

salvo

2 of 3

verb

salvoed; salvoing; salvos

transitive verb

: to release a salvo of

intransitive verb

: to fire a salvo

salvo

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural salvos
1
: a mental reservation : proviso
2
: a means of safeguarding one's name or honor or allaying one's conscience : salve

Did you know?

No opening salvo here: salvo in phrases like “an opening salvo” is a kind of attack, especially one that is strong or sudden. Usually, such salvos are verbal attacks, like a critical remark aimed at a debate opponent, or a pointed accusation at the start of an editorial. But salvo can also refer to attacks of a more perilous kind, including various martial actions involving bombs, rockets, and artillery. (It can also refer to the bombs or projectiles released in a salvo.) The word arrived from Italian in the late 16th century with a complex meaning: it referred to a simultaneous discharge of two or more guns, either in military action or as a salute. The word's ultimate source is the Latin word salve, meaning “hail!,” which was an ancient Roman greeting. In English, salvo is also sometimes used for a sudden occurrence of applause, laughter, etc., from many people, which sounds to us like the best kind of all.

Examples of salvo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Rapidly disgorging secrets, the eight-episode opening salvo effectively plants a hook for many more problems to come. Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 The Washington state salvo is merely one part of a yearslong national legal assault on laws and policies intended to prevent discrimination. Marilyn W. Thompson, ProPublica, 28 Feb. 2024 Whether Zuckerberg’s return salvo will land with consumers remains to be seen. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 That month, the militants fired their first salvo: cruise missiles aimed at Israel. Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2024 The split screen served as the opening salvo of the general election after Trump clinched the nomination this week when Nikki Haley dropped out of the race. Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 While that album’s title track was also a searing political salvo, the album largely told more intimate stories about love and daily life in the Sahel region of Africa. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 The strikes were the largest salvo since the allies struck Houthi targets on Feb. 3 and came after a week in which the Houthis have launched attack drones and cruise and ballistic missiles at vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Last fall, Peltz fired off his latest proxy salvo — this time agitating for multiple board seats, one for himself and another for Jay Rasulo, a former Disney chief financial officer. Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salvo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Italian salva, from French salve, from Latin, hail!, from salvus healthy — more at safe

Noun (2)

Medieval Latin salvo jure with the right reserved

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1839, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

1621, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of salvo was in 1591

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Dictionary Entries Near salvo

Cite this Entry

“Salvo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salvo. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

salvo

noun
sal·​vo
ˈsal-vō
plural salvos or salvoes
1
a
: the firing of two or more guns at the same time at one target or in a salute
b
: the release all at once of a rack of bombs or rockets
2
: the firing of one gun after another in a group of artillery pieces
3
: a sudden burst (as of cheers)

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