Pronounced: tohts, adv
Notes: This may be newest word I’ve featured to date (and it’s not a brand name)
Yesterday’s word
The word salvo means
- a simultaneous discharge of two or more guns or bombs
- a sudden burst
- a spirited attack
First usage
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
Background / Comments
The first meaning was the original meaning, and it referred to a salvo used as a salute (somewhat amusing as “salute” itself traces back to the same word). The definition then broadened to include simultaneous gunfire, as it war. Over time, the meaning has shifted to the other definitions – one is more likely to find the word used in a figurative sense. Our word came from Italian and French, which came from the Latin adjective salvus (healthy). Another form of the word [salve], meaning “hail!” was used as a greeting by ancient Romans. Although the Latin word meant healthy, the English word “salve” does not come from this word – in spite of the similar appearance to our word.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 