Library / English Dictionary

MOTILITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A change of position that does not entail a change of location

Example:

gastrointestinal motility

Synonyms:

motility; motion; move; movement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("motility" is a kind of...):

change (the action of changing something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "motility"):

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)

rotary motion; rotation (the act of rotating as if on an axis)

closing; shutting (the act of closing something)

sitting (the act of assuming or maintaining a seated position)

posing; sitting ((photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait))

snap (the act of snapping the fingers; movement of a finger from the tip to the base of the thumb on the same hand)

squat; squatting (the act of assuming or maintaining a crouching position with the knees bent and the buttocks near the heels)

sweep (a movement in an arc)

toss (an abrupt movement)

quiver; quivering; vibration (the act of vibrating)

wave (a movement like that of a sudden occurrence or increase in a specified phenomenon)

flicker; flutter; waver (the act of moving back and forth)

standing (the act of assuming or maintaining an erect upright position)

span; straddle (the act of sitting or standing astride)

stroke (a single complete movement)

squirm; wiggle; wriggle (the act of wiggling)

eurhythmics; eurhythmy; eurythmics; eurythmy (the interpretation in harmonious bodily movements of the rhythm of musical compositions; used to teach musical understanding)

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; causing it to move around (usually vigorously))

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; setting something in motion)

fetal movement; foetal movement (motion of a fetus within the uterus (usually detected by the 16th week of pregnancy))

dart; flit (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; bending forward)

eversion; everting; inversion (the act of turning inside out)

inversion; upending (turning upside down; setting on end)

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))

eye movement (the movement of the eyes)

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Ability to move spontaneously and independently

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("motility" is a kind of...):

mobility (the quality of moving freely)

Antonym:

immotility (lacking an ability to move)

Derivation:

motile ((of spores or microorganisms) capable of movement)

Credits

 Context examples: 

This allele, which encodes palladin protein, plays a role in cellular morphology, motility and adhesion.

(PALLD wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

P-cadherin, a cell-surface protein and member of the cadherin family, is overexpressed in a variety of solid tumors, and plays a role in cell adhesion, motility, invasion and proliferation.

(P-cadherin Antagonist PF-03732010, NCI Thesaurus)

This results in sedation, analgesia, decreased gastrointestinal motility, and respiratory depression.

(Oxymorphone hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

In addition, this agent is able to inhibit melanoma cell motility.

(Mofarotene, NCI Thesaurus)

In turn, paclitaxel binds to and stabilizes microtubules, preventing their depolymerization, which results in the inhibition of cellular motility, mitosis, and replication.

(Oraxol, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene plays a role in tumor cell motility and is associated with several carcinomas.

(AMFR Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

This leads to a decrease in stomach secretions, GI motility and GI spasms.

(Belladonna/Phenobarbital, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes actin, cytoplasmic 1 protein, plays a role in the modulation of both cell motility and cell shape.

(ACTB wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene is involved in the maintenance of the cytoskeleton and in cellular motility.

(ACTG2 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

Mammalian cell motility requires actin polymerization in the direction of movement to change membrane shape and extend cytoplasm into lamellipodia.

(Actin Branching Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)