DESULTORY: 1: marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose 2: disappointing in progress, performance, or quality
The Latin adjective desultorius, the parent of "desultory," 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, therefore, that someone or something "desultory" jumps from one thing to another. (Desultor and desultorius are derived from the Latin verb salire, meaning "to leap.") A desultory conversation leaps aimlessly from one topic to another. A desultory student skips from one subject to another, without applying serious effort to any 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.
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