sortie

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: sor=tie

CIDE DICTIONARY

sortie, n. [F., fr. sortir to go out, to issue, probably fr. L. sortus, for surrectus, p. p. of surgere to raise up, to rise up. See Source.].

 The sudden issuing of a body of troops, usually small, from a besieged place to attack or harass the besiegers; a sally.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sortie, n. & v.
--n.
1 a sally, esp. from a besieged garrison.
2 an operational flight by a single military aircraft.
--v.intr. (sorties, sortied, sortieing) make a sortie; sally.

Etymology

F, fem. past part. of sortir go out

THESAURUS

sortie

aggravated assault, aggression, air cover, air raid, air support, amphibious attack, armed assault, assailing, assailment, assault, attack, banzai attack, blitz, blitzkrieg, bombing, breakthrough, charge, counterattack, counteroffensive, coup de main, cover, crippling attack, dead set at, descent on, diversion, diversionary attack, drive, dry run, flank attack, frontal attack, gas attack, head-on attack, infiltration, lightning attack, lightning war, mass attack, megadeath, milk run, mission, mugging, offense, offensive, onset, onslaught, overkill, panzer warfare, push, reconnaissance, reconnaissance mission, run against, run at, rush, sally, scramble, shock tactics, shuttle raid, strafing, strike, training mission, umbrella, unprovoked assault

ROGET THESAURUS

sortie

Attack

N attack, assault, assault and battery, onset, onslaught, charge, aggression, offense, incursion, inroad, invasion, irruption, outbreak, estrapade, ruade, coupe de main, sally, sortie, camisade, raid, foray, run at, run against, dead set at, storm, storming, boarding, escalade, siege, investment, obsession, bombardment, cannonade, fire, volley, platoon fire, file fire, fusillade, sharpshooting, broadside, raking fire, cross fire, volley of grapeshot, whiff of the grape, feu d'enfer, cut, thrust, lunge, pass, passado, carte and tierce, home thrust, coupe de bec, kick, punch, battue, razzia, Jacquerie, dragonnade, devastation, eboulement, assailant, aggressor, invader, base of operations, point of attack, echelon, attacking, aggressive, offensive, obsidional, up in arms, on the offensive, Int, up and at them!, the din of arms, the yell of savage rage, the shriek of agony, the groan of death, their fatal hands no second stroke intend, thirst for glory quells the love of life.