volley

Volley is a word with multiple related meanings across military, sports, and figurative language. As a base sense, it denotes a rapid or simultaneous release of a quantity of projectiles, missiles, or items, or the act of delivering them in quick succession. The term derives from Old French volée, from volāre “to fly,” with volée meaning a flight or throwing, a sense that broadened over time.

In military and historical usage, a volley is the simultaneous discharge of firearms or artillery by a rank or unit. It aims to produce a concentrated effect and is often described in ceremonial or historical contexts as well as in battlefield tactics.

In sports and games, a volley refers to striking a ball or other object before it touches the ground. In tennis, a volley is typically performed near the net, with the ball struck before it bounces. In soccer (association football), a volley is a shot made while the ball is in the air, without letting it bounce. In other ball sports, the term can describe maintaining play by hitting the ball while airborne, though game rules and terminology vary.

Figurative uses include a volley of questions, criticisms, or requests—an accelerated or sustained series of remarks directed at someone.

Related terms include volley fire and volley gun, which emphasize the collective, rapid discharge of projectiles, and crossfire, which describes two or more lines of fire intersecting a target.