Saluting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Making a respectful or formal gesture, often by raising a hand to the forehead, to acknowledge or greet someone
2. Performing a customary sign of respect or recognition, typically involving a raised hand toward the head
3. Executing a traditional gesture of honor or acknowledgment, such as lifting the hand quickly to the forehead

Etymology: "Saluting" is the present participle of "salute," so the history belongs to the verb itself. The key surprise is that the ancient idea was about wishing someone well rather than about a hand at the brow. Latin "salūtō" meant "to greet" or "to wish health to," and it grew from "salūs," a word for greeting and good health. That root is closely tied to "salvus," meaning "safe," so the original notion of a greeting carried an undercurrent of wishing someone's welfare. English borrowed the verb from Latin, and the gesture it now names came later in the story. Over time, the sense of greeting someone with a wish for their health narrowed into a formal, respectful acknowledgement, and the raised hand to the forehead became its most familiar form.

Synonyms: greeting, acknowledging, bowing, waving, honoring

Antonyms: ignoring, disregarding, snubbing, slighting, overlooking