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desultory

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des·ul·to·ry  (dsl-tôr, -tr, dz-)
adj.
1. Having no set plan; haphazard or random. See Synonyms at chance.
2. Moving or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected: a desultory speech.

[Latin dsultrius, leaping, from dsultor, a leaper, from dsultus, past participle of dsilre, to leap down : d-, de- + salre, to jump; see sel- in Indo-European roots.]

desul·tori·ly adv.
desul·tori·ness n.

desultory [dez-zl-tree]
Adjective
1. passing or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected: desultory conversation
2. occurring in a random way: a desultory thought [Latin de- from + salire to jump]
desultorily adv
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.desultory - marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another; "desultory thoughts"; "the desultory conversation characteristic of cocktail parties"
purposeless - not evidencing any purpose or goal

desultory
Translations
desultory [ˈdɛsəltərɪ] adj [reading] → poco metódico; [conversation] → inconexo; [contact] → intermitente
desultory [ˈdɛsəltərɪ] adj [reading, conversation] → décousu(e); [contact] → irrégulier/ière
desultory [ˈdɛsəltərɪ] adjflüchtig;
(conversation) → zwanglos
desultory [ˈdɛsəltərɪ] adj [reading] → disordinato/a; [conversation] → sconnesso/a; [contact] → saltuario/a, irregolare


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
continued in a desultory way at long intervals until 1906.
It was when I would have said that I knew all Goldsmith; we often give ourselves credit for knowledge in this way without having any tangible assets; and my reading has always been very desultory.
But, as it is not unreasonable to suppose that I may have held its threads with a more continuous attention than anyone else can have given them during its desultory publication, it is not unreasonable to ask that the weaving may be looked at in its completed state, and with the pattern finished.
 
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