saltation
noun/sælˈteɪʃən/
Frequency rank: #19,965 most common English word
Meaning
A sudden leap or jump; in biology, an abrupt evolutionary change rather than gradual progression.
Example sentence
The researcher described the evolution of the species as occurring through saltation, rather than gradual change.
Synonyms & related words
Practice this word in the quiz
More words in ranks 19,901–20,000
- auspiceprotection, support, or patronage given by an influential person or organization.
- cogitateTo think deeply and carefully about something.
- flambeto pour alcohol over food and ignite it, creating a brief burst of flames for flavor or dramatic effect.
- decrescendoA gradual decrease in loudness in a piece of music.
- idiolectThe variety of language unique to an individual speaker.
- spermatozoona mature male reproductive cell capable of fertilizing a female egg.
- deboneto remove the bones from meat or fish.
- fermataA musical symbol indicating that a note or rest should be held longer than its normal duration, at the performer's discretion.
- gymnospermA plant that produces seeds not enclosed within an ovary or fruit, such as conifers and cycads.
- telophaseThe final phase of mitosis or meiosis in which the chromosomes reach the poles of the cell and new nuclear envelopes form around them.