To greet with a gesture of respect, especially a formal military gesture, or such a gesture itself.
From Latin salutare 'to greet, wish health to', from salus 'health, safety, welfare'. Entered English via Old French saluer in the 14th century, originally meaning any form of greeting.
The military salute evolved from medieval knights raising their visors to show their faces to superiors, demonstrating they weren't hiding weapons. Different countries have distinct saluting styles - the British palm-forward salute supposedly shows the hand is clean, unlike manual laborers.
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