Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Salient \Sa"li*ent\, a. [L. saliens, -entis, p. pr. of salire to
   leap; cf. F. saillant. See {Sally}, n. & v. i..]
   1. Moving by leaps or springs; leaping; bounding; jumping.
      ``Frogs and salient animals.'' --Sir T. Browne.

   2. Shooting out or 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. (Math. & Fort.) Projecting outwardly; as, a salient angle;
      -- opposed to {re["e]ntering}. See Illust. of {Bastion}.

Salient \Sa"li*ent\, a. (Fort.)
   A salient angle or part; a projection.

Source : WordNet®

salient
     adj 1: having a quality that thrusts itself into attention; "an
            outstanding fact of our time is that nations poisoned
            by anti semitism proved less fortunate in regard to
            their own freedom"; "a new theory is the most
            prominent feature of the book"; "salient traits"; "a
            spectacular rise in prices"; "a striking thing about
            Picadilly Circus is the statue of Eros in the center";
            "a striking resemblance between parent and child"
            [syn: {outstanding}, {prominent}, {spectacular}, {striking}]
     2: (of angles) pointing outward at an angle of less than 180
        degrees [ant: {re-entrant}]
     3: represented as leaping (rampant but leaning forward) [syn: {salient(ip)}]

salient
     n : (military) the part of the line of battle that projects
         closest to the enemy