Volley
/ˈvɒl.i/noun
A rapid exchange of shots, passes, or blows; in sports, a ball struck before it touches the ground.
Did you know?English borrowed volley through French from the idea of a rapid aerial exchange, and its history is tied to the old military and sporting sense of striking or releasing things in a burst rather than one by one.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
volley
“a discharge or exchange of shots or blows in quick succession”
16th Century
French
volée
“a flight, a flock in flight, or a volley of missiles”
Latin
Latin
volāre
“to fly”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wel-
“to fly, to move swiftly”