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. [Obs.] Shak.
Motion
(Mo"tion), v. t.
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. [Obs.]
I want friends to motion such a matter.
Burton. Motioner
(Mo"tion*er) n. One who makes a motion; a mover. Udall.
Motionist
(Mo"tion*ist), n. A mover. [Obs.]
Motionless
(Mo"tion*less), a. Without motion; being at rest.
Motive
(Mo"tive) n. [F. motif, LL. motivum, from motivus moving, fr. L. movere, motum, to move.
See Move.]
1. That which moves; a mover. [Obs.] 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), a. Causing motion; having power to move, or tending to move; as, a motive argument;
motive power. "Motive faculty." Bp. Wilkins.
Motive power (Mach.), a natural agent, as water, steam, wind, electricity, etc., used to impart motion
to machinery; a motor; a mover.
Motive
(Mo"tive) v. t. To prompt or incite by a motive or motives; to move.
Motiveless
(Mo"tive*less), a. Destitute of a motive; not incited by a motive. — Mo"tive*less*ness, n.
G. Eliot.
Motivity
(Mo*tiv"i*ty) n. [See Motive, n.]
1. The power of moving or producing motion.
2. The quality of being influenced by motives. [R.]
