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   desultory

   /ˈdɛs(ə)lt(ə)ri/

   adjective

   • 1. lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm: "a few people were left, dancing in a desultory fashion"
   • ▪ (of conversation or speech) going from one subject to another in a half-hearted way: "the desultory conversation faded"
   • ▪ occurring randomly or occasionally: "desultory passengers were appearing"

   Word Origin late 16th century (also in the literal sense ‘skipping about’): from Latin desultorius ‘superficial’ (literally ‘relating to a vaulter’), from desultor ‘vaulter’, from the verb desilire.

   Derivatives

   • 1. desultorily adverb
   • 2. desultoriness noun

   Scrabble Points: 13

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2. People also ask

   What does desultorius mean?

   • Did you know? The Latin adjective desultorius was used by the ancients to refer to a circus performer (called a desultor) whose trick was to leap from horse to horse without stopping. It makes sense, then, that someone or something desultory "jumps" from one thing to another.

   Desultory Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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   What is a desultory adjective?

   • Definition of desultory adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary going from one thing to another, without a definite plan and without enthusiasm I wandered about in a desultory fashion. Questions about grammar and vocabulary? Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

   desultory adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage

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   What is a desultory student?

   • A desultory student skips from one subject to another without applying serious effort to any particular one. A desultory comment is a digressive one that jumps away from the topic at hand. And a desultory performance is one resulting from an implied lack of steady, focused effort.

   Desultory Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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   What is a desultory conversation?

   • (Desultor and desultorius, by the way, come from the Latin verb salire, meaning "to leap.") A desultory conversation leaps from one topic to another and doesn't have a distinct point or direction. A desultory student skips from one subject to another without applying serious effort to any particular one.

   Desultory Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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   What is a desultory Act?

   • Something that is desultory is done in an unplanned and disorganized way, and without enthusiasm. The constables made a desultory attempt to keep them away from the barn. The man continued talking. She answered him desultorily. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.

   DESULTORY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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   Where did desultory come from?

   • Desultory originated in the Roman era, in the playing fields of Roman circuses. The performers, going by the name of desultors, used to jump from one horse to another in mid-scream.

   Meaning of Desultory - Wordpandit

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3. dictionary.cambridge.org › english › desultoryDESULTORY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › english › desultory

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   Desultory means without a clear plan or purpose and showing little effort or interest. Learn more about this formal adjective, its synonyms, antonyms, and usage examples from the Cambridge English Corpus and other sources.

   • English (US)

     DESULTORY meaning: 1. without a clear plan or purpose and...

   • Desultory in Simplified Chinese

     DESULTORY translate: 漫无目的的，随意的；无计划的. Learn more in the...

   • Znaczenie Desultory, Definicja W Cambridge English Dictionary

     DESULTORY definicja: 1. without a clear plan or purpose and...

   • Traditional

     DESULTORY translate: 漫無目的的，隨意的；無計劃的. Learn more in the...

   • Desuetude

     DESUETUDE definition: 1. the principle that laws can stop...

   • Detach

     DETACH definition: 1. to separate or remove something from...

   • Pronunciation in English

     DESULTORY pronunciation. How to say DESULTORY. Listen to the...

4. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › desultoryDesultory Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › desultory

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   Desultory means marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose, or not connected with the main subject. It comes from the Latin word for a circus performer who leaps from horse to horse.

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6. www.collinsdictionary.com › english › desultoryDESULTORY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › english › desultory

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   Desultory means done in an unplanned and disorganized way, and without enthusiasm. It can also mean random or incidental. See examples, pronunciation, and word origin.

7. www.dictionary.com › browse › desultoryDESULTORY Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › desultory

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   Desultory means lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful. It comes from Latin dēsultōrius, relating to a dēsultor (a circus rider who jumps from one horse to another). See how to use desultory in a sentence and its word history.

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definitiondesultory adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition

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   Desultory means going from one thing to another without a plan or enthusiasm. Learn how to use this formal adjective with pictures, pronunciation and usage notes.

9. www.thefreedictionary.com › desultoryDesultory - definition of desultory by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › desultory

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   Desultory means moving or jumping from one thing to another, or occurring in a random or incidental way. Find the origin, pronunciation, and translations of desultory in English and Spanish.

10. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › desultoryDesultory - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com

    www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › desultory

    If you lack a definite plan or purpose and flit from one thing to another, your actions are desultory. Some people call such desultory wanderings spontaneous. Others call it "being lost."