desultory

英 ['des(ə)lt(ə)rɪ; -z-] 美['dɛsəltɔri]

英英释义实用场景例句

GRE畅通词汇

副词: desultorily;

desultory 随意的

de-, 向下，离开。-sult, 跳，词源同salmon, insult. 原指马戏团的驯马师玩把戏从一匹马跳到另一匹马，引申词义随意的。

1. 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"

desultory: desultory: [16] Latin dēsultor designated a circus trick-rider who jumped from the back of one horse to another while they were galloping along (it was a derivative of dēsilīre, a compound verb formed from dē- ‘down’ and salīre ‘jump’, source of or related to English assail, assault, insult, salacious, salient, and sally). From it was derived an adjective dēsultōrius ‘jumping from one thing to another like a dēsultor’, hence ‘superficial’, and eventually ‘unmethodical, irregular’, the sense which survives in English.
=> assail, assault, insult, salacious, salient
desultory (adj.): 1580s, "skipping about," from Latin desultorius "hasty, casual, superficial," adjective form of desultor (n.) "a rider in the circus who jumps from one horse to another while they are in gallop," from desul-, stem of desilire "jump down," from de- "down" (see de-) + salire "to jump, leap" (see salient (adj.)). Sense of "irregular, without aim or method" is c. 1740. Related: Desultorily; desultoriness.

Carrie followed up this desultory conversation with occasional interruptions from the Vances.: 嘉莉继续这样随便地谈着,万斯夫妇偶尔也插上几句.

The constables made a desultory attempt to keep them away from the barn.: 警察漫不经心地拦着不让他们靠近谷仓。

Judith now entered into a desultory discourse with Deerslayer.: 尤蒂丝开始和打鹿将东拉西扯地闲聊起来.

The next several weeks of desultory battle were a holding action.: 以后几个星期的零星战斗不过是应付局面的行动而已.

The watery sunshine rested on the walls in blurred and desultory gleame.: 淡淡的阳光象水一样洒在墙上,斑斑驳驳的.

His conduct during these first weeks had been desultory beyond description.: 在这两三个礼拜之内,他的行动可以说是散漫得没法形容.

The desultory discussion merely reaffirmed old perplexities.: 这次讨论完全不着边际,仅仅重申了过去那些纠缠不清的老问题.

There was only desultory firing now, and the general atmosphere was fairly peaceful.: 屋顶上有几堆碎瓦,左厢房的屋脊打落了一角.然而枪炮声已经绝迹了.

Occasionally , Mr. Lin and the collector from Shanghai exchanged a few desultory words.: 林先生和那位收账客人有一句没一句的闲谈着.

The careful study of a few books is better than the desultory reading of many.: 精心研究几部书胜过随意地读许多书.

His conduct during these first weeks had desultory beyond description.: 在开始的几个礼拜里,他的行为散漫得没法形容.

China's record of protecting its rare species has been desultory.: 中国保护稀有物种的工作是不连贯的.

He broke into a desultory chat with me over his business affairs.: 他突然开始和我漫无边际地谈起他的生意来了.