motion

mo·tion   (mō'shən)    n.   The act or process of changing position or place. A meaningful or expressive change in the position of the body or a part of the body; a gesture. Active operation: set the plan in motion. The ability or power to move: lost motion in his arm. The manner in which the body moves, as in walking. A prompting from within; an impulse or inclination: resigned of her own motion. Music Melodic ascent and descent of pitch. Law An application made to a court for an order or a ruling. A formal proposal put to the vote under parliamentary procedures. A mechanical device or piece of machinery that moves or causes motion; a mechanism. The movement or action of such a device. v.   mo·tioned, mo·tion·ing, mo·tions v.   tr. To direct by making a gesture: motioned us to our seats. v.   intr. To signal by making a gesture: motioned to her to enter. [Middle English mocioun, from Old French motion, from Latin mōtiō, mōtiōn-, from mōtus, past participle of movēre, to move; see meuə- in Indo-European roots.]

Motion

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.

motion  (n.)

Main Entry: mo·tion
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French, from Latin motion- motio movement, from movEre to move
1 : a proposal for action; especially : a formal proposal made in a legislative assembly motion to refer the bill to committee>
2 a : an application made to a court or judge to obtain an order, ruling, or direction motion to arrest judgment>; also : a document containing such an application b : the initiative of a court to issue an order, ruling, or direction motion or at the request of a party —J. H. Friedenthal et al.>

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motion for judgment on the pleadings
: a motion made after pleadings have been entered that requests the court to issue a judgment at that point —compare summary judgment at JUDGMENT 1a
NOTE: Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, if matters outside of the pleadings are presented to the court when a motion for judgment on the pleadings is made, the motion will be treated as a motion for summary judgment.

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motion for more definite statement
: a motion that is filed before an answer and that requests the court to order the plaintiff to clarify allegations in the complaint because the claims are so vague or ambiguous that an answer cannot reasonably be framed

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motion in bar
: a motion that bars an action (as trial or prosecution) —used esp. in Georgia and Illinois

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motion in lim·i·ne
/-in-'li-m&-nE/
: a usually pretrial motion that requests the court to issue an interlocutory order which prevents an opposing party from introducing or referring to potentially irrelevant, prejudicial, or otherwise inadmissible evidence until the court has finally ruled on its admissibility

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motion to suppress
: a pretrial motion requesting the court to exclude evidence that was obtained illegally and esp. in violation of Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment protections

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om·ni·bus motion
/'äm-ni-b&s-/
: a motion that makes multiple requests omnibus motion to dismiss and for a more definite statement —Department of Insurance of Florida v. Coopers & Lybrand, 570 So. Second 369 (1990)>

Main Entry: mo·tion
Pronunciation: 'mO-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : an act, process, or instance of changing place : MOVEMENT
2 a : an evacuation of the bowels b : the matter evacuated —often used inplural motions —Lancet>

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.

motion

see go through the motions; set in motion; set the wheels in motion.