Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Moving or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected.
- adjective Occurring randomly or sporadically. synonym: chance.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Leaping; hopping about; moving irregularly.
- Swerving from point to point; irregularly shifting in course; devious: as, desultory movements; a desultory saunter.
- Veering about from one thing to another; whiffling; unmethodical; irregular; disconnected: as, a desultory conversation.
- Coming suddenly, as if by leaping into view; started at the moment; random.
- Synonyms and Rambling, roving, unsystematic, irregular. See
irregular .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective obsolete Leaping or skipping about.
- adjective Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence; disconnected; immethodical; aimless.
- adjective Out of course; by the way; as a digression; not connected with the subject.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Jumping , orpassing , from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logicalsequence ;disconnected ;immethodical ;aimless . - adjective Out of
course ; by the way; as adigression ; notconnected with the subject. - adjective
Disappointing in performance or progress. - adjective obsolete
Leaping ,skipping orflitting about, generally in a random or unsteady manner.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Icahn plans to "[offer] up anecdotes and a running commentary on what he describes as the desultory state of corporate governance in America."
Dealbreaker 2009
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We present for your inspection, and then debunk, or paw at in desultory fashion, a dozen of the choicest conspiracy theories to gain traction since Jan. 20.
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He seems to have worried about the aimless guest, that individual who would wander about in desultory manner, constantly amazed yet never really subjecting the exhibits to serious study.
The Romance of China: Excursions to China in U.S. Culture: 1776-1876 2005
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By the merest chances, they heard that all was well, and, compelled to be content with this scanty news, they plunged into their work again, till the roar of cannon and clash of steel became familiar as were the terrors of the scene of some desperate fight, such as modern soldiers would speak of as a desultory skirmish.
Crown and Sceptre A West Country Story George Manville Fenn 1870
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Obviously, U.S. investigators will be part of the effort to determine what the source of cause of this is, but I think I'd rather not speculate, based on this point, very kind of desultory information.
Press Briefing By Samuel Berger ITY National Archives 1999
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Over the past few years, there’s been what I’d call a desultory, on-and-off debate, if it can be termed such, over the future of books, and of fiction.
The Future of Fiction? Its meaning? « L.E. Modesitt, Jr. – The Official Website 2008
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Over the past few years, there’s been what I’d call a desultory, on-and-off debate, if it can be termed such, over the future of books, and of fiction.
November « 2008 « L.E. Modesitt, Jr. – The Official Website 2008
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The executive has the habit of depending upon "desultory" memory where the logical should be developed.
Increasing Human Efficiency in Business: A Contribution to the Psychology of Business 1910
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Edmund again enjoyed a kind of desultory education, partly carried on at school and partly at his uncle's home, where he enjoyed the advantage of the kind instructions of his old friend, Miss
The Drama Henry Brodribb Irving 1894
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The port needs many improvements, and the Government has for some time been engaged in a kind of desultory dredging out there, but has not yet succeeded in affording a sufficient depth of water to allow large vessels to come directly to the wharves; and the lines of artificial obstruction, built across the channel of the bay during the war, to impede the passage of vessels, have not yet been removed.
seanahan commented on the word desultory
The etymology is awesome. "désultor (a circus rider who jumps from one horse to another"
August 20, 2007
reesetee commented on the word desultory
That's great! Thanks, seanahan.
August 21, 2007
oroboros commented on the word desultory
Wow! Just learned I've been mispronouncing this all my life! Anybody else? It ain't de SUL tor ee. Aaarrgh!
August 21, 2007
reesetee commented on the word desultory
What's worse, oroboros, is that I already know that but keep forgetting! Aaarrgh!
August 21, 2007
jennarenn commented on the word desultory
Yep. If there's something to mispronouce or misspell, jennarenn's already on it. :-/
August 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word desultory
Eh, I just don't say this word. Though if I did, I would say it wrong. Deliberately. ;-)
August 21, 2007
ahuja.ankit commented on the word desultory
I am reading a book that says it belongs to the "SULT" family, which means jumping onto something.
other examples would be 'exultant' that mean jumping out of joy.
March 16, 2008
Telofy commented on the word desultory
My thesaurus defines it as random. What a funny word. I have this voice in my head: imagine someone with a good valley girl accent saying something in the lines of “I'm, like, Tiffany, you know, from, like, Lawndale? (vocal fry) Ooohh, your (sic), like, from Lawndale, too? That's like sooo desultory? (vocal fry) Totally awesome?�?
August 8, 2009
skipvia commented on the word desultory
Nobody defines it better than Paul Simon. Or here, if you want the audio.
I suspect this is the only use of desultory in a song title.
August 8, 2009
Telofy commented on the word desultory
A pity it doesn't come up in the actual lyrics of the song.
But I found also a band with that name.
August 8, 2009
aykutkaraalioglu commented on the word desultory
premeditated opposite
July 19, 2012
tristero commented on the word desultory
Got curious about the etymology and looked up the word desultor . The Wordnik definition lists it as "A bareback rider in the Roman circus who rode two or more horses at once, leaping from one to another." Merriam Webster adds the phrase " (as in the circensian games)"circensian which is apparently just a fancy way of saying "Roman circus"
May 10, 2017
bilby commented on the word desultory
Filched.
May 10, 2017