salute
n. countablen. a formal sign of respect, usually made by raising your hand to your head. You see soldiers or sailors do this to show honor to a leader or a flag.
n. a formal gesture of respect or recognition, typically performed by raising the right hand to the forehead or cap. Often used in military or nautical contexts to acknowledge a superior officer or a national symbol.
The soldier gave a sharp salute as the general walked past.
During the ceremony, every officer stood at attention and offered a formal salute while the national anthem played.
The tradition of the military salute is thought to have originated from medieval knights raising their visors to identify themselves to one another, signaling a lack of hostile intent.
Borrowed from Latin salūtō (“to greet; to wish health to”), from salūs (“greeting, good health”), related to salvus (“safe”).
Often takes the verb 'give', 'offer', or 'return'.