📖 WordNook

saltation

noun
  1. a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
    bounceleapleapingspringbound
  2. taking a series of rhythmical steps and movements in time to music
    “Our saltations on the dance floor are sure to impress.”
    dancingdanceterpsichore
  3. an abrupt transition
    jumpleap
  4. in genetics, a mutation that drastically changes the phenotype of an organism or species
    “The first generation of plants had a drastically different leaf shape, leading the scientist to believe a saltation had occurred.”
  5. (geology) the leaping movement of sand or soil particles as they are transported in a fluid medium over an uneven surface