desultor

desultor — noun

1. in ancient Rome, a highly skilled circus performer who would leap from the back

1.名詞C2
釋義

in ancient Rome, a highly skilled circus performer who would leap from the back of one galloping horse to another — sometimes managing several horses at once — in a display of balance and daring that gave rise to the word desultory for anything that jumps restlessly from one thing to the next

例句

Takeshi read about the desultor who vaulted between four horses at the Circus Maximus.

noun as subject in a relative clause describing a historical feat

A single desultor could control two galloping horses while balancing on their backs.

countable noun with indefinite article; modal 'could' showing ability

同義詞
  • trick rider

    the modern general term for any stunt performer on horseback; lacks the specific Roman context

  • voltigeur

    borrowed from French circus tradition; describes a leaping rider in modern European circuses, not ancient Rome

  • equestrian acrobat

    a broad descriptive label covering any gymnastic performer on horseback across all eras

用法筆記

Refers exclusively to performers in ancient Roman circus games. Do not confuse with the adjective desultory ('aimless, skipping between topics'), which shares the same Latin root but describes behaviour, not a person. The noun is rare even in historical writing and is never applied to modern circus riders.

常見錯誤

❌The modern circus featured a desultor.
✅The modern circus featured a trick rider.
💡Desultor refers only to ancient Roman performers; for modern contexts use trick rider or voltigeur.
❌His desultor approach frustrated the editor.
✅His desultory approach frustrated the editor.
💡The adjective meaning 'aimless' or 'skipping about' is desultory, not desultor.