Saltation

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Saltation \Sal*ta"tion\, n. [L. saltatio: cf. F. saltation.]
     1. A leaping or jumping.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Continued his saltation without pause. --Sir W.
                                                    Scott.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Beating or palpitation; as, the saltation of the great
        artery.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Biol.) An abrupt and marked variation in the condition or
        appearance of a species; a sudden modification which may
        give rise to new races.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              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.                          --Huxley.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  saltation
       n 1: (geology) the leaping movement of sand or soil particles as
            they are transported in a fluid medium over an uneven
            surface
       2: a mutation that drastically changes the phenotype of an
          organism or species
       3: an abrupt transition; "a successful leap from college to the
          major leagues" [syn: {leap}, {jump}]
       4: taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time
          to music [syn: {dancing}, {dance}, {terpsichore}]
       5: a light springing movement upwards or forwards [syn: {leap},
           {leaping}, {spring}, {bound}, {bounce}]