online medical dictionary | definition of salient

1. Moving by leaps or springs; leaping; bounding; jumping. "Frogs and salient animals."

2. Shooting out up; springing; projecting. "He had in himself a salient, living spring of generous and manly action." (Burke)

3. Hence, figuratively, forcing itself on the attention; prominent; conspicuous; noticeable. "He [Grenville] had neither salient traits, nor general comprehensiveness of mind." (Bancroft)

4. <mathematics> Projectiong outwardly; as, a salient angle; opposed to reentering.

5. Represented in a leaping position; as, a lion salient. Salient angle. See Salient.

<geometry> Salient polygon, a polyhedron all of whose solid angles are salient.

Origin: L. Saliens, -entis, p.pr. Of salire to leap; cf. F. Saillant. See Sally, &.

(01 Mar 1998)