Dictionary

saltatory en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɔl.-/ (General-American)
• /ˈsæltəˌtɔɹi/ (General-American)
• /ˈsæltət(ə)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈsɑl.-/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger)

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin saliō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin -tō Latin saltō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -tōrius Latin saltātōriusbor. English saltatory Borrowed from Latin saltātōrius.

Meanings

1. Of or pertaining to leaps or leaping.
   • Near-synonym: jumpy
   • When we had all laughed and applauded till we were faint, Starling, not to be outdone, favoured us with a more modern saltatory entertainment in the Lancashire clog manner — to the best of my belief, the longest dance ever performed […] 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House:
2. Proceeding by leaps rather than by smooth, continuous variation.
   • Near-synonyms: discontinuous, jerky, jumpy

Forms

Deriveds

microsaltatory

Relateds

desultory · somersault · salient

Synonyms

jumpy · discontinuous · jumpy · jerky

Translations (2)

el αλτικός (related to jumping or leaping) · la saltātōrius (related to jumping or leaping)