sortie

[sawr-tee]

noun

1. a rapid movement of troops from a besieged place to attack the besiegers.

2. a body of troops involved in such a movement.

3. the flying of an airplane on a combat mission.

verb (used without object)

sortied, sortieing 

1. to go on a sortie; sally forth.

sortie

/ ˈsɔːtɪ /

noun

1. 1. (of troops, etc) the act of emerging from a contained or besieged position

   2. the troops doing this

2. an operational flight made by one aircraft

3. a short or relatively short return trip

verb

1. (intr) to make a sortie

Word History and Origins

Origin of sortie¹

1680–90; < French, noun use of feminine past participle of sortir to go out

Word History and Origins

Origin of sortie¹

C17: from French: a going out, from sortir to go out

Example Sentences

The jet first landed on 14 June at Thiruvananthapuram airport in the southern state of Kerala where it was diverted after it ran into bad weather during a sortie in the Indian Ocean.

From BBC

The aircraft was diverted there after it ran into bad weather during a sortie in the Indian ocean and was unable to return to HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy's flagship carrier.

From BBC

The other thing those sorties into the audience every night accomplish is that they bring people not just closer to the band, but also to each other.

From Salon

The chocolate-covered marshmallow treats had apparently been all the rage prior to this - being eaten by crewmen as they flew nuclear bombers on long training sorties at the height of the Cold War.

From BBC

River are all part of the perfect Sunday sortie for the ‘Animal Control’ star.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• raid