motion

[moh-shuh n] /ˈmoʊ ʃən/
noun
1.
the action or process of moving or of changing place or position; movement.
2.
power of movement, as of a living body.
3.
the manner of moving the body in walking; gait.
4.
a bodily movement or change of posture; gesture.
5.
a proposal formally made to a deliberative assembly:
to make a motion to adjourn.
6.
Law. an application made to a court or judge for an order, ruling, or the like.
7.
a suggestion or proposal.
8.
an inward prompting or impulse; inclination:
He will go only of his own motion.
9.
Music. melodic progression, as the change of a voice part from one pitch to another.
10.
Machinery.
  1. a piece of mechanism with a particular action or function.
  2. the action of such a mechanism.
verb (used with object)
11.
to direct by a significant motion or gesture, as with the hand:
to motion a person to a seat.
verb (used without object)
12.
to make a meaningful motion, as with the hand; gesture; signal:
to motion to someone to come.
Idioms
13.
go through the motions, to do something halfheartedly, routinely, or as a formality or façade.
14.
in motion, in active operation; moving:
The train was already in motion when he tried to board it.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English mocio(u)n < Latin mōtiōn- (stem of mōtiō), equivalent to mōt(us) (past participle of movēre to move) + -iōn- -ion
Related forms
motional, adjective
motioner, noun
intermotion, noun
nonmotion, noun
self-motion, noun
undermotion, noun
unmotioned, adjective
unmotioning, adjective
Synonyms
1. Motion, move, movement refer to change of position in space. Motion denotes change of position, either considered apart from, or as a characteristic of, something that moves; usually the former, in which case it is often a somewhat technical or scientific term: perpetual motion. The chief uses of move are founded upon the idea of moving a piece, in chess or a similar game, for winning the game, and hence the word denotes any change of position, condition, or circumstances for the accomplishment of some end: a shrewd move to win votes. Movement is always connected with the person or thing moving, and is usually a definite or particular motion: the movements of a dance. 3. bearing, carriage.
Examples from the web for motion
  • Some would-be duelists discovered that even the code's formal preliminaries might set in motion an irreversible chain of events.
  • Range of motion is the distance and direction of movement of a joint.
  • The economy's movement, for example, probably maps to a source domain of motion through space.
  • My office has motion detectors for the lights that are on a 30 minute timer.
  • He was impressive in motion and no less formidable when he was still.
  • Is poor posture control the real cause of motion sickness?
  • The northern lights, so called from their undulatory motion.
  • The nation's foreign policy apparatus is constantly in restless motion.
  • The problem is not motion sickness on the plane itself as much as it is what happens to me after I reach my destination.
  • Then, I panned the camera with his direction of motion.
British Dictionary definitions for motion

motion

/ˈməʊʃən/
noun
1.
the process of continual change in the physical position of an object; movement: linear motion, related adjective kinetic
2.
a movement or action, esp of part of the human body; a gesture
3.
  1. the capacity for movement
  2. a manner of movement, esp walking; gait
4.
a mental impulse
5.
a formal proposal to be discussed and voted on in a debate, meeting, etc
6.
(law) an application made to a judge or court for an order or ruling necessary to the conduct of legal proceedings
7.
(Brit)
  1. the evacuation of the bowels
  2. excrement
8.
  1. part of a moving mechanism
  2. the action of such a part
9.
(music) the upward or downward course followed by a part or melody. Parts whose progressions are in the same direction exhibit similar motion, while two parts whose progressions are in opposite directions exhibit contrary motion See also parallel (sense 3)
10.
go through the motions
  1. to act or perform the task (of doing something) mechanically or without sincerity
  2. to mimic the action (of something) by gesture
11.
in motion, operational or functioning (often in the phrases set in motion, set the wheels in motion)
verb
12.
(when transitive, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to signal or direct (a person) by a movement or gesture
Derived Forms
motional, adjective
Word Origin
C15: from Latin mōtiō a moving, from movēre to move

Motion

/ˈməʊʃən/
noun
1.
Sir Andrew. born 1952, British poet and biographer; his collections include Pleasure Steamers (1978) and Public Property (2002): poet laureate (1999–2009)
Word Origin and History for motion
n.

late 14c., "suggestion; process of moving," from Old French mocion "movement, motion; change, alteration" (13c.), from Latin motionem (nominative motio) "a moving, a motion; an emotion," from past participle stem of movere "to move" (see move (v.)). Motion picture attested from 1896.

v.

late 15c., "to request, petition" (obsolete), from motion (n.). The sense in parliamentary procedure first recorded 1747; with meaning "to guide or direct by a sign, gesture, movement" it is attested from 1787. Related: Motioned; motioning.

motion in Medicine

motion mo·tion (mō'shən)
n.

  1. The act or process of changing position or place.

  2. The manner in which the body or a body part moves.

Idioms and Phrases with motion

motion

see: