saltatory

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: sal=ta=to=ry

CIDE DICTIONARY

saltatory, a. [L. saltatorius. See Saltant, and cf. Saltire.].

 Leaping or dancing; having the power of, or used in, leaping or dancing.  [1913 Webster]

Saltatory evolution (Biol.), a theory of evolution which holds that the transmutation of species is not always gradual, but that there may come sudden and marked variations. See Saltation.<-- recently revived as "punctuated equilibrium" --> -- Saltatory spasm (Med.), an affection in which pressure of the foot on a floor causes the patient to spring into the air, so as to make repeated involuntary motions of hopping and jumping. J. Ross.

THESAURUS

saltatory

anabatic, ascendant, ascending, ascensional, ascensive, bouncing, bounding, climbing, convulsive, eclamptic, fidgety, fitful, hopping, in the ascendant, jerking, jerky, jiggety, jumping, jumpy, leaping, mounting, orgasmic, prancing, rampant, rearing, rising, saltant, saltatorial, scandent, scansorial, skipping, skyrocketing, spasmodic, spastic, spiraling, springing, twitchety, twitching, twitchy, uparching, upcoming, upgoing, upgrade, uphill, uphillward, uprising, upsloping, upward, upwith, vellicative

ROGET THESAURUS

saltatory

Leap

N leap, jump, hop, spring, bound, vault, saltation, ance, caper, curvet, caracole, gambade, gambado, capriole, demivolt, buck, buck jump, hop skip and jump, falcade, kangaroo, jerboa, chamois, goat, frog, grasshopper, flea, buckjumper, wallaby, leaping, saltatory, frisky, on the light fantastic toe, di salto in salto.

Agitation

N agitation, stir, tremor, shake, ripple, jog, jolt, jar, jerk, shock, succussion, trepidation, quiver, quaver, dance, jactitation, quassation, shuffling, twitter, flicker, flutter, turbulence, perturbation, commotion, turmoil, disquiet, tumult, tumultuation, hubbub, rout, bustle, fuss, racket, subsultus, staggers, megrims, epilepsy, fits, carphology, chorea, floccillation, the jerks, St. Vitus's dance, tilmus, spasm, throe, throb, palpitation, convulsion, disturbance, chaos, restlessness, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, effervescence, hurly-burly, cahotage, tempest, storm, ground swell, heavy sea, whirlpool, vortex, whirlwind, shaking, agitated tremulous, desultory, subsultory, saltatoric, quasative, shambling, giddy-paced, saltatory, convulsive, unquiet, restless, all of a twitter, by fits and starts, subsultorily, per saltum, hop skip and jump, in convulsions, in fits, tempete dans un verre d'eau.