desultory

WOTD - 7 February 2009    

English

Etymology

From Latin desultorius (“hasty, casual, superficial”), from desultor (“a circus rider who jumped from one galloping horse to another”), from dēsiliō (“jump down”), from dē (“down”) + saliō (“jump, leap”)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈdɛs.əl.tə.ɹi/, SAMPA: /"des.@l.t@.rI/
• (US) IPA: /ˈdɛs.əlˌtɔɹ.i/, /ˈdɛz.əlˌtɔɹ.i/, SAMPA: /"des.@l.tOr.I/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  ,

  Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

desultory (comparative more desultory, superlative most desultory)

1. Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence; disconnected; immethodical; aimless.

   He wandered round, cleaning up in a desultory way.

   I teach a class of desultory minds.

2. Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.

   I made a desultory remark while I was talking to my friend.

   She made a desultory attempt at conversation.

3. Disappointing in performance or progress.
4. (obsolete) Leaping, skipping or flitting about, generally in a random or unsteady manner.

Derived terms

• desultorily

Translations

leaping or skipping about

Bulgarian: разхвърлян (bg)

jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection

Bulgarian: безреден (bg), безсистемен (bg) Czech: roztěkaný (cs) French: incohérence (fr), sauter du coq à l'âne (fr) Norwegian: springende (no)

Polish: nieporządny (pl) m., chaotyczny (pl) m., bezładny (pl) m. Russian: беспорядочный (ru), несвязанный (ru)

out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject

Czech: nesouvislý (cs) Norwegian: malapropos (no)

Russian: несвязный (ru)

disappointing in performance or progress

References

• desultory in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913