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⇱ volley - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

volley

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈvɒli/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈvɑli/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(vol′ē)

Inflections of 'volley' (n): npl: volleys
Inflections of 'volley' (v): (⇒ conjugate)
volleys
v 3rd person singular
volleying
v pres p
volleyed
v past
volleyed
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
vol•ley /ˈvɑli/USA pronunciation   n., pl. -leys, v., -leyed, -ley•ing. 
n. [countable]
  1. Militarythe shooting of a number of missiles or firearms at the same time.
  2. Militarythe missiles so discharged.
  3. a burst or outpouring of many things at once or in quick succession:a volley of protests.
  4. Sport
    • the return of a ball or shuttlecock, as in tennis or badminton, before it hits the ground.
    • a series of such returns;
      a rally.

v. 
  1. [~ + object] to shoot in or as if in a volley.
  2. Sportto return (a ball) before it hits the ground: [no object]They volleyed for almost five minutes.[~ + object]to volley a ball.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
vol•ley  (vol′ē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -leys, v., -leyed, -ley•ing. 
n. 
  1. Militarythe simultaneous discharge of a number of missiles or firearms.
  2. Militarythe missiles so discharged.
  3. a burst or outpouring of many things at once or in quick succession:a volley of protests.
  4. Sport[Tennis.]
    • the flight of the ball before it hits the ground.
    • the return of the ball before it hits the ground.
  5. Sport[Soccer.]a kick of the ball before it bounces on the ground.
  6. Sport[Cricket.]a ball so bowled that it hits the wicket before it touches the ground.
  7. Miningthe explosion of several charges at one time.

v.t. 
  1. to discharge in or as in a volley.
  2. Sport[Tennis.]to return (the ball) before it hits the ground.
  3. Sport[Soccer.]to kick (the ball) before it bounces on the ground.
  4. Sport[Cricket.]to bowl (a ball) in such a manner that it is pitched near the top of the wicket.

v.i. 
  1. Militaryto fly or be discharged together, as missiles.
  2. to move or proceed with great rapidity, as in a volley.
  3. Militaryto fire a volley;
    sound together, as firearms.
  4. Sport[Tennis, Soccer.]to return the ball before it touches the ground.
  • Latin volāre
  • Middle French volee flight, noun, nominal use of feminine past participle of voler to fly
  • 1565–75
vol′ley•er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
volley /ˈvɒlɪ/ n
  1. the simultaneous discharge of several weapons, esp firearms
  2. the projectiles or missiles so discharged
  3. a burst of oaths, protests, etc, occurring simultaneously or in rapid succession
  4. a stroke, shot, or kick at a moving ball before it hits the ground
    Compare half volley
  5. the flight of such a ball or the ball itself
 vb
  1. to discharge (weapons, etc) in or as if in a volley or (of weapons, etc) to be discharged
  2. (transitive) to utter vehemently or sound loudly and continuously
  3. (transitive) to strike or kick (a moving ball) before it hits the ground
Etymology: 16th Century: from French volée a flight, from voler to fly, from Latin volāreˈvolleyer n
'volley' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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Look up "volley" at Merriam-Webster
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