Definitions for: Motion


[n] the act of changing your location from one place to another; "police controlled the motion of the crowd"; "the movement of people from the farms to the cities"; "his move put him directly in my path"
[n] a change of position that does not entail a change of location; "the reflex motion of his eyebrows revealed his surprise"; "movement is a sign of life"; "an impatient move of his hand"; "gastrointestinal motility"
[n] the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
[n] a formal proposal for action made to a deliberative assembly for discussion and vote; "he made a motion to adjourn"; "she called for the question"
[n] a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
[n] an optical illusion of motion produced by viewing a rapid succession of still pictures of a moving object; "the cinema relies on apparent motion"; "the succession of flashing lights gave an illusion of movement"
[n] a state of change; "they were in a state of steady motion"
[v] show, express or direct through movement; "He gestured his desire to leave"



Webster (1913) Definition: Mo"tion, n. [F., fr. L. motio, fr. movere, motum, to
move. See Move.]
1. The act, process, or state of changing place or position;
movement; the passing of a body from one place or position
to another, whether voluntary or involuntary; -- opposed
to rest.

Speaking or mute, all comeliness and grace attends
thee, and each word, each motion, forms. --Milton.

2. Power of, or capacity for, motion.

Devoid of sense and motion. --Milton.

3. Direction of movement; course; tendency; as, the motion of
the planets is from west to east.

In our proper motion we ascend. --Milton.

4. Change in the relative position of the parts of anything;
action of a machine with respect to the relative movement
of its parts.

This is the great wheel to which the clock owes its
motion. --Dr. H. More.

5. Movement of the mind, desires, or passions; mental act, or
impulse to any action; internal activity.

Let a good man obey every good motion rising in his
heart, knowing that every such motion proceeds from
God. --South.

6. A proposal or suggestion looking to action or progress;
esp., a formal proposal made in a deliberative assembly;
as, a motion to adjourn.

Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion. --Shak.

7. (Law) An application made to a court or judge orally in
open court. Its object is to obtain an order or rule
directing some act to be done in favor of the applicant.
--Mozley & W.

8. (Mus.) Change of pitch in successive sounds, whether in
the same part or in groups of parts.

The independent motions of different parts sounding
together constitute counterpoint. --Grove.

Note: Conjunct motion is that by single degrees of the scale.
Contrary motion is that when parts move in opposite
directions. Disjunct motion is motion by skips. Oblique
motion is that when one part is stationary while
another moves. Similar or direct motion is that when
parts move in the same direction.

9. A puppet show or puppet. [Obs.]

What motion's this? the model of Nineveh? --Beau. &
Fl.

Note: Motion, in mechanics, may be simple or compound.

Simple motions are: (a) straight translation, which, if
of indefinite duration, must be reciprocating. (b)
Simple rotation, which may be either continuous or
reciprocating, and when reciprocating is called
oscillating. (c) Helical, which, if of indefinite
duration, must be reciprocating.

Compound motion consists of combinations of any of the
simple motions.

Center of motion, Harmonic motion, etc. See under
Center, Harmonic, etc.

Motion block (Steam Engine), a crosshead.

Perpetual motion (Mech.), an incessant motion conceived to
be attainable by a machine supplying its own motive forces
independently of any action from without.



Syn: See Movement.


Mo"tion, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Motioned; p. pr. & vb.
n. Motioning.]
1. To make a significant movement or gesture, as with the
hand; as, to motion to one to take a seat.

2. To make proposal; to offer plans. [Obs.] --Shak.


Mo"tion, v. t.
1. To direct or invite by a motion, as of the hand or head;
as, to motion one to a seat.

2. To propose; to move. [Obs.]

I want friends to motion such a matter. --Burton.

Synonyms: apparent motion, apparent movement, gesticulate, gesture, gesture, motility, move, movement, movement, movement, question

Antonyms: motionlessness, stillness

See Also: abduction, acclaim, adduction, advance, advancement, agitation, applaud, approach, approach, approaching, approaching, ascending, ascension, ascent, backlash, beck, beckon, bend, bending, bless, body English, bow, bow, bow down, bowing, Brownian motion, Brownian movement, cam stroke, change, change of location, chase, circumduction, clap, closing, coming, commotion, communicate, crawl, cross oneself, dart, deflection, deflexion, descent, displacement, disturbance, eurhythmics, eurhythmy, eurythmics, eurythmy, eversion, everting, extend, facial expression, facial gesture, fetal movement, flicker, flit, flourish, flow, flow, flutter, foetal movement, following, forward motion, gesticulation, gesture, glide, happening, harmonic motion, haste, headshake, headshaking, heave, high-five, hold out, hurry, hurrying, inclination, inclining, intercommunicate, inversion, jerk, jerking, jolt, kick, kick, kicking, kneel, kneeling, locomotion, lunge, lurch, maneuver, manoeuvre, migration, moving ridge, natural event, nod, nod, nystagmus, obeisance, occurrence, onward motion, opening, optical illusion, palpitation, passage, passing, pedesis, perpetual motion, pitch, pitching, play, posing, precession, previous question, progress, progression, proposal, prostration, pursuit, put out, quiver, quiver, quivering, quivering, reach, reaching, rebound, reciprocation, reclining, recoil, repercussion, retraction, retroflection, retroflexion, return, rise, rotation, rush, rushing, seek, shake, shakiness, shaking, shift, shifting, shrug, shrug, shutting, sign, sign, sign of the cross, sitting, slide, slippage, span, spat, speed, speeding, squat, squatting, squeeze, squirm, standing, state, straddle, stream, stream, stretch, stretch forth, stretch out, stroke, stroke, sweep, swing, swinging, throw, translation, travel, travel, traveling, travelling, trembling, turn, turning, twist, undulation, upending, V sign, vacillation, vibration, vibration, visual communication, wafture, wave, wave, wave, wave, waver, waving, whirl, wiggle, wink, wobble, wrench, wriggle, wring

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