saltation

/ˈsɔlˌteɪʃən/

Other forms: saltations

Definitions of saltation

1. noun

   a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
   synonyms: bounce, bound, leap, leaping, spring

   types:

   caper, capriole

   a playful leap or hop

   pounce

   the act of pouncing

   type of:

   jump, jumping

   the act of jumping; propelling yourself off the ground
2. noun

   taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music
   synonyms: dance, dancing, terpsichore

   types:

   adagio

   a slow section of a pas de deux requiring great skill and strength by the dancers

   break dance, break dancing

   a form of solo dancing that involves rapid acrobatic moves in which different parts of the body touch the ground; normally performed to the rhythm of rap music

   courante

   a court dance of the 16th century; consisted of short advances and retreats

   nauch, nautch, nautch dance

   an intricate traditional dance in India performed by professional dancing girls

   pavan, pavane

   a stately court dance of the 16th and 17th centuries

   phrase

   dance movements that are linked in a single choreographic sequence

   saraband

   a stately court dance of the 17th and 18th centuries; in slow time

   skank

   a rhythmic dance to reggae music performed by bending forward and extending the hands while bending the knees

   slam dance, slam dancing

   a form of dancing in which dancers slam into one another; normally performed to punk rock

   hoofing, step dancing

   dancing in which the steps are more important than gestures or postures

   toe dance, toe dancing

   a dance performed on tiptoe

   choreography, stage dancing

   a show involving artistic dancing

   pas seul, variation

   (ballet) a solo dance or dance figure

   duet, pas de deux

   (ballet) a dance for two people (usually a ballerina and a danseur noble)

   pas de trois

   (ballet) a dance for three people

   pas de quatre

   (ballet) a dance for four people

   social dancing

   dancing as part of a social occasion

   mambo

   a Latin American dance similar in rhythm to the rumba

   ceremonial dance, ritual dance, ritual dancing

   a dance that is part of a religious ritual

   tap dance, tap dancing

   a dance step tapped out audibly with the feet

   ballet, concert dance

   a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers

   modern dance

   a style of theatrical dancing that is not as restricted as classical ballet; movements are expressive of feelings

   apache dance

   a violent fast dance in French vaudeville (an apache is a member of the French underworld)

   belly dance, belly dancing, danse du ventre

   a Middle Eastern dance in which the dancer makes sensuous movements of the hips and abdomen

   bolero

   a Spanish dance in triple time accompanied by guitar and castanets

   cakewalk

   a strutting dance based on a march; was performed in minstrel shows; originated as a competition among Black dancers to win a cake

   cancan

   a high-kicking dance of French origin performed by a female chorus line

   nude dancing

   erotic dancing with little or no clothing

   jitterbug

   a jerky American dance that was popular in the 1940s

   lindy, lindy hop

   an energetic American dance that was popular in the 1930s (probably named for the aviator Charles Lindbergh)

   fandango

   a provocative Spanish courtship dance in triple time; performed by a man and a woman playing castanets

   flamenco, gypsy dancing

   a style of dancing characteristic of the Andalusian Gypsies; vigorous and rhythmic with clapping and stamping of feet

   gavotte

   an old formal French dance in quadruple time

   habanera

   a Cuban dance in duple time

   shag

   a lively dance step consisting of hopping on each foot in turn

   shimmy

   lively dancing (usually to ragtime music) with much shaking of the shoulders and hips

   stomp

   a dance involving a rhythmical stamping step

   tarantella, tarantelle

   a lively whirling Italian dance for two persons

   twist

   social dancing in which couples vigorously twist their hips and arms in time to the music; was popular in the 1960s

   ballroom dance, ballroom dancing

   any of a variety of social dances performed by couples in a ballroom

   folk dance, folk dancing

   a style of dancing that originated among ordinary people (not in the royal courts)

   apache devil dance

   a ritual dance of the Apache

   dance of death, danse macabre

   a medieval dance in which a skeleton representing death leads a procession of others to the grave

   ghost dance

   a religious dance of Native Americans looking for communication with the dead

   pyrrhic

   an ancient Greek dance imitating the motions of warfare

   rain dance

   a ritual dance intended to bring rain

   snake dance

   a ceremonial dance (as by the Hopi) in which snakes are handled or invoked

   sun dance

   a ceremonial dance performed by Amerindians at the summer solstice

   war dance

   a ceremonial dance performed before a battle or after a victory

   type of:

   diversion, recreation

   an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates

   performing arts

   arts or skills that require public performance
3. noun

   an abrupt transition
   synonyms: jump, leap

   types:

   quantum jump

   (physics) an abrupt transition of an electron or atom or molecule from one quantum state to another with the emission or absorption of a quantum

   type of:

   transition

   a change from one place or state or subject or stage to another
4. noun

   (genetics) a mutation that drastically changes the phenotype of an organism or species
   type of:

   chromosomal mutation, genetic mutation, mutation

   (genetics) any event that changes genetic structure; any alteration in the inherited nucleic acid sequence of the genotype of an organism
5. noun

   (geology) the leaping movement of sand or soil particles as they are transported in a fluid medium over an uneven surface
   type of:

   action, activity, natural action, natural process

   a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)