different between offensive vs sally

English

Alternative forms

• offencive (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French offensif, from Medieval Latin offensivus, from Latin offendere (“to offend”), past participle offensus; see offend.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??f?ns?v/
• (sports): (US) IPA^(key): /???f?ns?v/

Adjective

offensive (comparative more offensive, superlative most offensive)

1. Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred.

   Antonym: inoffensive

2. Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.

   Antonym: defensive

3. (sports) Having to do with play directed at scoring.

Usage notes

• When the second syllable is emphasized, "offensive" is defined as "insulting". When the first syllable is emphasized, it refers to the attacker in a conflict or a sport.
• Nouns to which "offensive" is often applied: content, material, language, word, comment, remark, statement, speech, joke, humor, image, picture, art, behavior, conduct, act, action.

Synonyms

• aggressive
• invidious (Intending to cause envious offense)

Derived terms

Related terms

• offend
• offense

Translations

Noun

offensive (countable and uncountable, plural offensives)

1. (countable, military) An attack.

2. (uncountable) The posture of attacking or being able to attack.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• offensive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• offensive in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Danish

Adjective

offensive

1. plural and definite singular attributive of offensiv

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?.f??.siv/
• Homophone: offensives

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

offensive f (plural offensives)

1. (military) offensive (an attack)

Descendants

• ? German: Offensive

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Adjective

offensive

1. feminine singular of offensif

Further reading

• “offensive” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

offensive

1. inflection of offensiv:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /of.fen?si.ve/
• Hyphenation: of?fen?sì?ve
• Rhymes: -ive

Adjective

offensive

1. feminine plural of offensivo

Noun

offensive f

1. plural of offensiva

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

offensive

1. definite singular/plural of offensiv

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

offensive

1. definite singular/plural of offensiv

English

Alternative forms

• salley (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sæli/
• Rhymes: -æli

Etymology 1

From Middle English saly, from Old English sali?, sealh (“willow”). More at sallow.

Noun

sally (plural sallies)

1. A willow
2. Any tree that looks like a willow
3. An object made from the above trees' wood

Derived terms

• sally rod

Translations

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French saillie, from sailli, the past participle of the verb saillir (“to leap forth”), itself from Latin sal?re (“to leap”)

Noun

sally (plural sallies)

1. A sortie of troops from a besieged place against an enemy.
2. A sudden rushing forth.

   Flocks of these birds stir up flying insects, which can then be picked off in quick sallies.

3. (figuratively) A witty statement or quip, usually at the expense of one's interlocutor.
4. An excursion or side trip.

   • Everyone shall know a country better that makes often sallies into it, and traverses it up and down, than he that […] goes still round in the same track.

5. A tufted woollen part of a bellrope, used to provide grip when ringing a bell.

Translations

See also

• sally port

Verb

sally (third-person singular simple present sallies, present participle sallying, simple past and past participle sallied)

1. (intransitive) To make a sudden attack (e.g. on an enemy from a defended position).

   The troops sallied in desperation.

   A feeding strategy of some birds is to sally out from a perch to snatch an insect and then returning to the same or a different perch.

2. (intransitive) To set out on an excursion; venture; depart (often followed by "forth.")

   As she sallied forth from her boudoir, you would never have guessed how quickly she could strip for action. - William Manchester

3. (intransitive) To venture off the beaten path.

Translations

Etymology 3

salvation +? -y

Noun

sally (plural sallies)

1. (New Zealand, slang) A member of the Salvation Army.

Synonyms

• Salvo

Related terms

• Sally Army

Etymology 4

Unknown.

Noun

sally (plural sallies)

1. A kind of stonefly.
2. A wren.

Anagrams

• Sylla, lylas, y'all's