(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Motion is the activity or process of continually changing position or moving from one place to another.
...the laws governing light, sound, and ~...
One group of muscles sets the next group in ~...
The wind from the car’s ~ whipped her hair around her head.
= movement
N-UNCOUNT
2.
A ~ is an action, gesture, or movement.
He made a neat chopping ~ with his hand.
= movement
N-COUNT: usu with supp
3.
A ~ is a formal proposal or statement in a meeting, debate, or trial, which is discussed and then voted on or decided on.
The conference is now debating the ~ and will vote on it shortly...
Opposition parties are likely to bring a no-confidence ~ against the government...
N-COUNT
4.
If you ~ to someone, you move your hand or head as a way of telling them to do something or telling them where to go.
She ~ed for the locked front doors to be opened...
He stood aside and ~ed Don to the door...
I ~ed him to join us...
He ~ed to her to go behind the screen.
= signal, gesture
VERB: V for n to-inf, V n prep/adv, V n to-inf, V to n to-inf
5.
see also slow ~ , time and ~
6.
If you say that someone is going through the ~s, you think they are only saying or doing something because it is expected of them without being interested, enthusiastic, or sympathetic.
‘You really don’t care, do you?’ she said quietly. ‘You’re just going through the ~s.’
PHRASE: V inflects
7.
If a process or event is in ~, it is happening. If it is set in ~, it is happening or beginning to happen.
His job as England manager begins in earnest now his World Cup campaign is in ~...
Her sharp, aggressive tone set in ~ the events that led to her downfall.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, PHR after v
8.
If someone sets the wheels in ~, they take the necessary action to make something start happening.
I have set the wheels in ~ to sell Endsleigh Court.
PHRASE: V inflects