What does "saltation" mean?
A leap, jump or dance.
Saltation
/sælˈteɪ.ʃən/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A leap, jump or dance.
- Grammar: saltation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: bound, jump, leap, abrupt shift.
- Useful contrasts: continuity, creep, gradualism.
- Usage evidence: still keeping time to the music like Harlequin in a pantomime, he thrust a letter into our hero′s hand, and continued his saltation without pause or intermission.
How to use "saltation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "saltation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "saltation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "saltation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "saltation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "saltation" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bound" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "saltation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A leap, jump or dance. countable, uncountable
"still keeping time to the music like Harlequin in a pantomime, he thrust a letter into our hero′s hand, and continued his saltation without pause or intermission."
- 2 a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards wordnet
- 3 The act of jumping, or hopping, using all legs simultaneously (although the contribution to motion is typically made chiefly by the hind legs). countable, uncountable
- 4 taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music wordnet
- 5 Beating or palpitation. countable, uncountable
"the saltation of the great artery"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 an abrupt transition wordnet
- 7 A sudden change from one generation to the next; a mutation. countable, uncountable
"Indeed we have always thought that Mr. Darwin has unnecessarily hampered himself by adhering so strictly to his favourite “Natura non facit saltum.” We greatly suspect that nature does make considerable jumps in the way of variation now and then, and that these saltations give rise to some of the gaps which appear to exist in the series of known forms."
- 8 (genetics) a mutation that drastically changes the phenotype of an organism or species wordnet
- 9 Any abrupt transition. countable, uncountable
"Thus, a tap that precedes the final one by a tenth of a second will likely appear to be midway between the contactors, whereas a tap preceding the final one by only 20 ms will appear to be virtually superimposed on it. Because the overall experience is of a stimulus jumping from place to place, Geldard called the phenomenon saltation.[…]First, saltation can occur only over a limited distance: A tap on the shoulder will not be drawn toward a later one delivered to the foot."
- 10 (geology) the leaping movement of sand or soil particles as they are transported in a fluid medium over an uneven surface wordnet
- 11 The transport of loose particles by a fluid (such as wind or flowing water). countable, uncountable
"Of extreme importance in the saltation phenomenon is the vertical distribution of particles, as well as total flux, as functions of the wind speed. The formations of all scales of bed formations, from centimeter-size ripples to kilometer-size dunes, are all due to the saltation process."
Antonyms
Example
"still keeping time to the music like Harlequin in a pantomime, he thrust a letter into our hero′s hand, and continued his saltation without pause or intermission."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "saltation"?
Common synonyms include: bound, jump, leap, abrupt shift, ascension, bounce.
How do you use "saltation" in a sentence?
still keeping time to the music like Harlequin in a pantomime, he thrust a letter into our hero′s hand, and continued his saltation without pause or intermission.
How do you pronounce "saltation"?
Pronounced /sælˈteɪ.ʃən/.
Etymology
From Latin saltus (“to leap”).