salvo

1 of 3

noun (1)

sal·​vo ˈsal-(ˌ)vō 

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.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• barrage
• flurry
• volley

Examples of salvo in a Sentence

Noun (1)

attacked the manager with a salvo of complaints before she even managed to say "hello"

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

While effective in salvoes, limited quantities and launcher availability could constrain Ukraine’s operational use. —Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

That’s the beauty of MLS, and the regular season has one more salvo. —Tom Bogert, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

Verb

Bucky orders Brady to salvo the ship’s full bomb load and hit the bailout alarm. —Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024

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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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)