Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: desultorius, from desilire 'to jump down'

desultory

 adjective
     
des‧ul‧to‧ry formal
done without any particular plan or purpose:
They talked briefly in a desultory manner.
—desultorily adverb
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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