Mother-of-pearl Moth"er-of-pearl` noun (Zoology) The hard pearly internal layer of several kinds of shells, esp. of pearl oysters, river mussels, and the abalone shells; nacre. See Pearl .

Mother-of-thyme Moth"er-of-thyme` noun (Botany) An aromatic plant ( Thymus Serphyllum ); -- called also wild thyme .

Mother's Day Moth"er's Day A day appointed for the honor and uplift of motherhood by the loving remembrance of each person of his mother through the performance of some act of kindness, visit, tribute, or letter. The founder of the day is Anna Jarvis, of Philadelphia, who designated the second Sunday in May, or for schools the second Friday, as the time, and a white carnation as the badge.

Mothered Moth"ered adjective Thick, like mother; viscid.

They oint their naked limbs with mothered oil.

Dryden.

Motherhood Moth"er·hood noun The state of being a mother; the character or office of a mother.

Mothering Moth"er·ing noun A rural custom in England, of visiting one's parents on Midlent Sunday, -- supposed to have been originally visiting the mother church to make offerings at the high altar.

Motherland Moth"er·land` noun The country of one's ancestors; -- same as fatherland .

Motherless Moth"er·less adjective [ Anglo-Saxon mōdorleás .] Destitute of a mother; having lost a mother; as, motherless children.

Motherliness Moth"er·li·ness noun The state or quality of being motherly.

Motherly Moth"er·ly adjective [ Anglo-Saxon mōdorlic .] Of or pertaining to a mother; like, or suitable for, a mother; tender; maternal; as, motherly authority, love, or care. Hooker.

Syn. -- Maternal; paternal. -- Motherly , Maternal . Motherly , being Anglo-Saxon, is the most familiar word of the two when both have the same meaning. Besides this, maternal is confined to the feelings of a mother toward her own children, whereas motherly has a secondary sense, denoting a care like that of a mother for her offspring. There is, perhaps, a growing tendency thus to separate the two, confining motherly to the latter signification. "They termed her the great mother, for her motherly care in cherishing her brethren whilst young." Sir W. Raleigh.

Motherly Moth"er·ly adverb In a manner of a mother.

Motherwort Moth"er·wort` noun (Botany) (a) A labiate herb ( Leonurus Cardiaca ), of a bitter taste, used popularly in medicine; lion's tail. (b) The mugwort. See Mugwort .

Mothery Moth"er·y (mŭ&thlig;"ẽr*ȳ) adjective Consisting of, containing, or resembling, mother (in vinegar).

Mothy Moth"y adjective Infested with moths; moth-eaten. "An old mothy saddle." Shak.

Motif Mo"tif noun [ French] Motive.

Motif Mo`tif" noun [ French] 1. In literature and the fine arts, a salient feature or element of a composition or work; esp., the theme, or central or dominant feature; specif. (Music) , a motive.

This motif , of old things lost, is a favorite one for the serious ballade.

R. M. Alden.

The design . . . is . . . based on the peacock -- a motif favored by decorative artists of all ages.

R. D. Benn.

2. (Dressmaking) A decorative appliqué design or figure, as of lace or velvet, used in trimming.

Motific Mo·tif"ic adjective [ Latin motus motion (fr. movere to move) + facere to make.] Producing motion. [ R.]

Motile Mo"tile adjective [ See Motive .] 1. (Biol.) Having powers of self-motion, though unconscious; as, the motile spores of certain seaweeds.

2. Producing motion; as, motile powers.

Motile Mo"tile adjective [ See Motive .] 1. (Biol.) Exhibiting, or capable of, spontaneous movement; as, motile cilia, motile spores, etc.

2. Producing motion; as, motile powers.

Motile Mo"tile noun (Psychol.) A person whose prevailing mental imagery takes the form of inner feelings of action, such as incipient pronunciation of words, muscular innervations, etc.

Motility Mo·til"i·ty noun [ Confer French motilité .] (Physiol.) Capability of motion; contractility.

Motion Mo"tion noun [ French, from Latin motio , from 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.

» 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. [ Obsolete]

What motion 's this? the model of Nineveh?

Beau. & Fl.

» 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 Mo"tion intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Motioned ; present participle & verbal noun 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. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Motion Mo"tion transitive verb 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. [ Obsolete]

I want friends to motion such a matter.

Burton.

Motion picture Mo"tion pic"ture A moving picture.

Motioner Mo"tion·er noun One who makes a motion; a mover. Udall.

Motionist Mo"tion·ist noun A mover. [ Obsolete]

Motionless Mo"tion·less adjective Without motion; being at rest.

Motivate Mo"ti·vate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle -vated ; present participle & verbal noun -vating .] [ From Motive , noun ] To provide with a motive; to move; impel; induce; incite. - - Mo`ti*va"tion noun William James.

Motive Mo"tive noun [ French motif , Late Latin motivum , from motivus moving, from Latin movere , motum , to move. See Move .] 1. That which moves; a mover. [ Obsolete] Shak.

2. That which incites to action; anything prompting or exciting to choise, or moving the will; cause; reason; inducement; object.

By motive , I mean the whole of that which moves , excites, or invites the mind to volition, whether that be one thing singly, or many things conjunctively.

J. Edwards.

3. (Mus.) The theme or subject; a leading phrase or passage which is reproduced and varied through the course of a comor a movement; a short figure, or melodic germ, out of which a whole movement is develpoed. See also Leading motive , under Leading . [ Written also motivo .]

4. (Fine Arts) That which produces conception, invention, or creation in the mind of the artist in undertaking his subject; the guiding or controlling idea manifested in a work of art, or any part of one.

Syn. -- Incentive; incitement; inducement; reason; spur; stimulus; cause. -- Motive , Inducement , Reason . Motive is the word originally used in speaking of that which determines the choice. We call it an inducement when it is attractive in its nature. We call it a reason when it is more immediately addressed to the intellect in the form of argument.

Motive Mo"tive adjective Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move; as, a motive argument; motive power. " Motive faculty." Bp. Wilkins.

Motive power (Machinery) , a natural agent, as water, steam, wind, electricity, etc., used to impart motion to machinery; a motor; a mover.

Motive Mo"tive transitive verb To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.

Motiveless Mo"tive·less adjective Destitute of a motive; not incited by a motive. -- Mo"tive*less*ness , noun G. Eliot.

Motivity Mo·tiv"i·ty noun [ See Motive , noun ] 1. The power of moving or producing motion.

2. The quality of being influenced by motives. [ R.]

Motivo Mo·ti"vo noun [ Italian See Motive , noun ] See Motive , noun , 3, 4.

Motley Mot"ley adjective [ Middle English mottelee , motle ; confer Old French mattelé clotted, curdled, OF, ciel mattonné a mottled sky, mate , maton , curdled milk, Prov. German matte curd. Confer Mottle .] 1. Variegated in color; consisting of different colors; dappled; party-colored; as, a motley coat.

2. Wearing motley or party-colored clothing. See Motley , noun , 1. "A motley fool." Shak.

3. Composed of different or various parts; heterogeneously made or mixed up; discordantly composite; as, motley style. Byron.

Motley Mot"ley noun 1. A combination of distinct colors; esp., the party-colored cloth, or clothing, worn by the professional fool. Chaucer. " Motley 's the only wear." Shak.

2. Hence, a jester, a fool. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Man of motley , a fool. [ Obsolete] Beau. & Fl.

Motley-minded Mot"ley-mind`ed adjective Having a mind of a jester; foolish. Shak.

Motmot Mot"mot noun [ Confer Momot .] (Zoology) Any one of several species of long-tailed, passerine birds of the genus Momotus , having a strong serrated beak. In most of the species the two long middle tail feathers are racket-shaped at the tip, when mature. The bird itself is said by some writers to trim them into this shape. They feed on insects, reptiles, and fruit, and are found from Mexico to Brazil. The name is derived from its note. [ Written also momot .]

Moto Mo"to noun [ Italian ] (Mus.) Movement; manner of movement; particularly, movement with increased rapidity; -- used especially in the phrase con moto , directing to a somewhat quicker movement; as, andante con moto , a little more rapidly than andante , etc.

Motograph Mo"to·graph noun [ Latin movere , motum , to move + -graph .] (Electricity) A device utilized in the making of a loud-speaking telephone, depending on the fact that the friction between a metallic point and a moving cylinder of moistened chalk, or a moving slip of paper, on which it rests is diminished by the passage of a current between the point and the moving surface. -- Mo`to*graph"ic adjective

Moton Mo"ton noun [ Etymol. uncertain.] (Anc. Armor) A small plate covering the armpit in armor of the 14th century and later.

Motor Mo"tor noun [ Latin , from movere , motum , to move.] 1. One who, or that which, imparts motion; a source of mechanical power.

2. (Machinery) A prime mover; a machine by means of which a source of power, as steam, moving water, electricity, etc., is made available for doing mechanical work.

Motor Mo"tor noun A motor car; an automobile. [ Colloq.]

Motor car, Motorcar Motor car, Mo"tor·car` noun 1. An automobile, locomobile, or locomotive designed to run and be steered on a street or roadway; esp., an automobile specially designed for passengers.

2. (Elec. Railroads) Any car containing motors for propulsion. [ U. S.]

Motor cycle, Motorcycle Motor cycle, Mo"tor·cy`cle noun A bicycle having a motor attached so as to be self-propelled. In Great Britain the term motor cycle is treated by statute ( 3 Ed VII. c. 36 ) as limited to motor cars (self-propelled vehicles) designed to travel on not more than three wheels, and weighing unladen (that is, without water, fuel, or accumulators necessary for propulsion) not more than three hundred weight (336 lbs.).

Motor generator Motor generator The combination consisting of a generator and a driving motor mechanically connected, usually on a common bedplate and with the two shafts directly coupled or combined into a single shaft.

Motor-driven Mo`tor-driv`en adjective (Machinery) Driven or actuated by a motor, esp. by an individual electric motor. An electric motor forms an integral part of many machine tools in numerous modern machine shops.

Motor, Motory Mo"tor, Mo"to·ry Mo*to"ri*al adjective [ Latin motorius that has motion. See Motor , noun ] Causing or setting up motion; pertaining to organs of motion; -- applied especially in physiology to those nerves or nerve fibers which only convey impressions from a nerve center to muscles, thereby causing motion.

Motoring Mo"tor·ing noun Act or recreation of riding in or driving a motor car or automobile.

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