volley: [16] A volley is etymologically a ‘flight’ of something, such as missiles. The word comes via Old French volee from Vulgar Latin *volāta ‘flight’, which was a noun use of the feminine past participle of Latin volāre ‘fly’ (source also of English volatile [17]). The origins of this are not certain, although it may be distantly related to Sanskrit garutmant- ‘bird’. The use of volley as a sporting term for a ‘shot hit before the ball bounces’ dates from the 19th century. => volatile
volley (n.)
1570s, "discharge of a number of guns at once," from Middle French volee "flight" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *volta, fem. noun from Latin volatum, past participle of volare "to fly" (see volant). Sporting sense of "a return of the ball before it hits the ground" (originally in tennis) is from 1851, from notion of hitting the ball in flight.
volley (v.)
1590s, "discharge in a volley," from volley (n.). Sporting sense (originally in tennis) of "to return the ball before it has hit the ground" is from 1819. Related: Volleyed; volleying.
实用例句
1. A gunman fired off a volley of shots into the air.
持枪歹徒朝天扫射了一排子弹。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Three mounted officers rode into the field after the volley.
枪炮一起开火后，3名军官骑着马冲进战场。
来自柯林斯例句
3. A man fired a volley of shots at them.
一名男子向他们射出了一排子弹。
来自柯林斯例句
4. A volley of bullets ripped into the facing wall.
