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# sortie

noun (a sortie, sorties)

«sortie» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A sortie is a sudden attack made by soldiers rushing out from a place that is surrounded by enemies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#m1)
2. A sortie is also one flight by a military aircraft on a mission. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#m2)
3. (informal, humorous) A sortie can mean a short trip out somewhere, like a sortie to the shops. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history lessons, defenders of a castle under siege made sorties to attack the besiegers. In news and stories about the Battle of Britain or air forces, pilots flew many sorties a day. In everyday humorous talk, a sortie is a quick outing. The word is French for "going out" (sortie = exit in French).

### Examples

- The defenders made a sortie from the castle at night. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#x1)
- The Spitfire pilots flew three sorties that day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#x2)
- Each sortie lasted about an hour. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#x3)
- Mum made a quick sortie to the corner shop for milk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#x4)
- The knights' sortie surprised the enemy camp. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#x5)
- (French) In France, "Sortie" on a sign means "Exit". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#x6)
- The plane returned safely from its sortie. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/#x7)

### Note

Say "SOR-tee". Countable: sorties. It comes from French "sortir", to go out; in French, "sortie" on signs means exit — a false friend for English speakers who know only the military sense.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «sortie» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sortie/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«sortie» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sortie.html) on Mova free.