saltatory

[ sal-tuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]

adjective
  1. pertaining to or adapted for saltation.

  2. proceeding by abrupt movements.

Origin of saltatory

1
1615–25; <Latin saltātōrius, equivalent to saltā(re) to dance + -tōrius-tory1

Other words from saltatory

  • un·sal·ta·to·ry, adjective

Words Nearby saltatory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use saltatory in a sentence

  • There was a platform at one end, where the musicians sat when saltatory fêtes were held, and on this I mounted to 'take a view.'

  • A dance is generally a grand affair with the native, combining as it does dress with dramatic and saltatory exhibitions.

  • This avowal preceded his saltatory approach to Roman Catholicism.

    Prophets of Dissent | Otto Heller
  • We have seen that the notion of sudden changes—saltatory actions in nature—has received countenance from Professor Huxley.

    On the Genesis of Species | St. George Mivart
  • She found him, all in all, saltatory but never vicious; a stout pull of the rein always brought him to terms.

    An Ambitious Woman | Edgar Fawcett