sa·li·ent / ˈsālyənt; -lēənt/ • adj. most noticeable or important: it succinctly covered all the salient points of the case. ∎  prominent; conspicuous: it was always the salient object in my view. ∎  (of an angle) pointing outward. The opposite of reentrant.• n. a piece of land or section of fortification that juts out to form an angle. ∎  an outward bulge in a line of military attack or defense.DERIVATIVES: sa·li·ence n.sa·li·en·cy n.sa·li·ent·ly adv.

salient leaping (first in her.) XVI; jetting forward, pointing outward XVII; prominent XVIII; sb. salient part or angle XIX. — L. saliēns, -ent-, prp. of salīre leap; see -ENT. S. point †the heart as it first appears in an embryo, (hence) first beginning, starting-point (XVII), tr. modL. punctum saliens, the source of which is Aristotle's ‘Historia Animalium’ VI iii.

salient, saliant.
1. Projection, jetty, or sail-over.

2. Angle pointing outwards, i.e. opposite of a re-entrant, e.g. gun-emplacement in a fortification.