saltation
sal·ta·tion (s
l-t
sh
n, sôl-)
n.
1. The act of leaping, jumping, or dancing.
2. Discontinuous movement, transition, or development; advancement by leaps.
3. Genetics A single mutation that drastically alters the phenotype.
[Latin saltti
, salttin, from salttus, past participle of saltre, to leap, frequentative of sal
re, to jump; see salient.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
| Noun | 1. | saltation – (geology) the leaping movement of sand or soil particles as they are transported in a fluid medium over an uneven surface
geology – a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks
natural action, natural process, action, activity – a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings); “the action of natural forces”; “volcanic activity”
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| 2. | saltation – (genetics) a mutation that drastically changes the phenotype of an organism or species
genetic science, genetics – the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms
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
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| 3. | saltation – an abrupt transition; “a successful leap from college to the major leagues”
transition – a change from one place or state or subject or stage to another
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
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