I. ˈvälē, -li noun
( plural volleys also vollies )
Etymology: Middle French volee flight, volley, from voler to fly, from Latin volare — more at volatile
1.
a. : a flight of missiles (as arrows or bullets) : the simultaneous or nearly simultaneous discharge of a number of missile weapons (as muskets or rifles)
some companies being able to attain three volleys per minute — R.K.Sprague
both were killed by a British volley a few minutes later — American Guide Series: Maryland
b. : one round per gun in an artillery battery fired as soon as each gun is ready without regard to the order of firing
c. : a mining blast consisting of a number of holes fired simultaneously
d.
(1) : the flight of the ball in tennis or the course of the ball before striking the ground
a ball hit on the volley
also : a return of the ball before it touches the ground
(2) : full toss
(3) : a kick of the ball in soccer before it rebounds
(4) : the exchange of the shuttlecock in badminton following the serve
2.
a. : a burst or emission of many things at once
every push of the pole against the loose mud of the bottom brought forth volleys of bubbles — C.S.Forester
writing volleys of letters — G.B.Shaw
broke into a volley of curses — R.H.Davis
b. : a burst of simultaneous or immediately sequential nerve impulses passing to an end organ, synapse, or center
two distinct volleys occur in each heart cycle — Albert Hemingway
c. : a short response (as Amen ) said in unison by Salvationists
•
- at the volley
II. verb
( volleyed also vollied ; volleyed also vollied ; volleying ; volleys also vollies )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to discharge in or as if in a volley
b. : to utter rapidly and vehemently
driver then volleyed a string of curses — Marcia Davenport
she volleyed him a string of questions — Maurice Hewlett
2. : to propel (an object of play) while in the air and before touching the ground: as
a. : to hit (a tennis ball) on the volley
b. : to kick (a soccer ball) before a rebound
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to become discharged in or as if in a volley
b. : to make a volley
their eyes, diminished in mirth, twinkled at each other … as if wit had volleyed between them — G.D.Brown
specifically : to volley an object of play (as in tennis)
2. : to make loud sounds continuously or repeatedly
a trickle of water volleyed loudly on the tarpaulin — C.S.Forester