English > motility: 2 senses > noun 2, act| Meaning | A change of position that does not entail a change of location. |
|---|
| Example | "gastrointestinal motility" |
|---|
| Synonyms | motion, movement, move |
|---|
| Narrower | abduction | (physiology) moving of a body part away from the central axis of the body |
|---|
| adduction | (physiology) moving of a body part toward the central axis of the body |
| agitation | The act of agitating something |
| body English | A motion of the body by a player as if to make an object already propelled go in the desired direction |
| circumduction | A circular movement of a limb or eye |
| disturbance | The act of disturbing something or someone |
| eurythmy, eurhythmy, eurythmics, eurhythmics | The interpretation in harmonious bodily movements of the rhythm of musical compositions |
| eye movement | The movement of the eyes |
| fetal movement, foetal movement | motion of a fetus within the uterus (usually detected by the 16th week of pregnancy) |
| flit, dart | A sudden quick movement |
| gesture | motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling |
| headshake, headshaking | The act of turning your head left and right to signify denial or disbelief or bemusement |
| inclination, inclining | The act of inclining |
| inversion, upending | turning upside down |
| inversion, eversion, everting | The act of turning inside out |
| jerk, jerking, jolt, saccade | An abrupt spasmodic movement |
| kick, kicking | A rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics |
| kneel, kneeling | supporting yourself on your knees |
| lurch, pitch, pitching | abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance) |
| opening | The act of opening something |
| prostration | The act of assuming a prostrate position |
| reach, reaching, stretch | The act of physically reaching or thrusting out |
| reciprocation | Alternating back-and-forth movement |
| reclining | The act of assuming or maintaining a reclining position |
| retraction | The act of pulling or holding or drawing a part back |
| retroflection, retroflexion | The act of bending backward |
| rotation, rotary motion | The act of rotating as if on an axis |
| shutting, closing | The act of closing something |
| sitting | The act of assuming or maintaining a seated position |
| sitting, posing | (photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait) |
| snap | The act of snapping the fingers |
| squat, squatting | The act of assuming or maintaining a crouching position with the knees bent and the buttocks near the heels |
| standing | The act of assuming or maintaining an erect upright position |
| straddle, span | The act of sitting or standing astride |
| stroke | A single complete movement |
| sweep | A movement in an arc |
| toss | An abrupt movement |
| vibration, quiver, quivering | The act of vibrating |
| wave | A movement like that of a sudden occurrence or increase in a specified phenomenon |
| waver, flutter, flicker | The act of moving back and forth |
| wiggle, wriggle, squirm | The act of wiggling |
| Broader | change | The action of changing something |
|---|
| Spanish | movimiento |
|---|
| Catalan | motilitat, moviment |
|---|
