[noun] old use or [formal] - a greeting in words or actions, or the words used at the beginning of a letter or speech(formal) She raised her hand in salutation. [U](formal) 'Dear Sir' or 'Dear Madam' are the usual salutations at the start of a letter to someone whose name you do not know. [C]
SALUTATION
Meaning of SALUTATION in English
Cambridge English vocab. Кембриджский английский словарь. 2012