1.Lit. to greet someone with a formal hand salute. He failed to salute the officer with the proper salute and was reprimanded. David saluted the captain with the appropriate salute and passed on by.
2.Fig. to greet or honor someone with the firing of guns or an over flight of airplanes. (Military or government.) The government saluted the visiting dignitary with a twenty-one gun salute. They saluted the prime minister with a flight of acrobatic jets.