Chapter 1004

Most (?) , a. , superl. of More . [OE. most , mast , mest , AS. m<?/st ; akin to D. meest , OS. m\'c7st , G. meist , Icel. mestr , Goth. maists ; a superl. corresponding to E. more . \'fb103. See More , a. ] 1. Consisting of the greatest number or quantity; greater in number or quantity than all the rest; nearly all. " Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness."

Prov. xx. 6.

The cities wherein most of his mighty works were done. Matt. xi. 20.

2. Greatest in degree; as, he has the most need of it . "In the moste pride."

Chaucer.

3. Highest in rank; greatest. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

&hand; Most is used as a noun, the words part , portion , quantity , etc., being omitted, and has the following meanings: 1. The greatest value, number, or part; preponderating portion; highest or chief part. 2. The utmost; greatest possible amount, degree, or result; especially in the phrases to make the most of , at the most , at most .

A quarter of a year or some months at the most . Bacon.

A covetous man makes the most of what he has. L'Estrange.

For the most part , in reference to the larger part of a thing, or to the majority of the persons, instances, or things referred to; as, human beings, for the most part , are superstitious; the view, for the most part , was pleasing. -- Most an end , generally. See An end , under End , n. [Obs.] "She sleeps most an end ."

Massinger.

Most <Xpage=947>

Most , adv. [AS. m&aemac;st . See Most , a. ] In the greatest or highest degree.

Those nearest to this king, and most his favorites, were courtiers and prelates. Milton.

&hand; Placed before an adjective or adverb, most is used to form the superlative degree, being equivalent to the termination -est ; as, most vile, most wicked; most illustrious; most rapidly. Formerly, and until after the Elizabethan period of our literature, the use of the double superlative was common. See More , adv.

The most unkindest cut of all. Shak.

The most straitest sect of our religion. Acts xxvi. 5.

Mostahiba <Xpage=947>

Mos`ta*hi"ba (?) , n. See Mustaiba .

Moste <Xpage=947>

Mos"te (?) , obs.imp. of Mote .

Chaucer.

Mostic, Mostick <Xpage=947>

Mos"tic , Mos"tick (?) , n. [See Maul-stick .] A painter's maul-stick.

Mostly <Xpage=947>

Most"ly (?) , adv. For the greatest part; for the most part; chiefly; in the main.

Mostra <Xpage=947>

Mos"tra (?) , n. [It.] (Mus.) See Direct , n.

Mostwhat <Xpage=947>

Most"what` (?) , adv. For the most part. [Obs.] "All the rest do mostwhat far amiss."

Spenser.

Mot <Xpage=947>

Mot (?) , v. [ Sing. pres. ind. Mot , Mote , Moot (<?/) , pl. Mot , Mote , Moote , pres. subj. Mote ; imp. Moste .] [See Must , v. ] [Obs.] May; must; might.

He moot as well say one word as another Chaucer.

The wordes mote be cousin to the deed. Chaucer.

Men moot [i.e., one only] give silver to the poore freres. Chaucer.

So mote it be , so be it; amen; -- a phrase in some rituals, as that of the Freemasons.

Mot <Xpage=947>

Mot (?) , n. [F. See Motto .] 1. A word; hence, a motto; a device. [Obs.]

Bp. Hall.

Tarquin's eye may read the mot afar. Shak.

2. A pithy or witty saying; a witticism. [A Gallicism]

Here and there turns up a ... savage mot . N. Brit. Rev.

3. A note or brief strain on a bugle.

Sir W. Scott.

Motccil <Xpage=947>

Mot"c*cil (?) , n. [Cf. F. motacille .] (Zo\'94l.) Any singing bird of the genus Motacilla ; a wagtail.

Motation <Xpage=947>

Mo*ta"tion (?) , n. [L. motare , motatum , to keep moving.] The act of moving; motion. [Obs.]

Mote <Xpage=947>

Mote (?) , v. See 1st Mot . [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Mote <Xpage=947>

Mote , n. [See Moot , a meeting.] [Obs., except in a few combinations or phrases.] 1. A meeting of persons for discussion; as, a ward mote in the city of London .

2. A body of persons who meet for discussion, esp. about the management of affairs; as, a folk mote .

3. A place of meeting for discussion.

Mote bell , the bell rung to summon to a mote . [Obs.]

Mote <Xpage=947>

Mote , n. The flourish sounded on a horn by a huntsman. See Mot , n. , 3, and Mort .

Chaucer.

Mote <Xpage=947>

Mote , n. [OE. mot , AS. mot .] A small particle, as of floating dust; anything proverbially small; a speck.

The little motes in the sun do ever stir, though there be no wind. Bacon.

We are motes in the midst of generations. Landor.

Moted <Xpage=947>

Mot"ed (?) , a. Filled with motes, or fine floating dust; as, the air . " Moted sunbeams."

Tennyson.

Motet <Xpage=947>

Mo*tet" (?) , n. [F., a dim. of mot word; cf. It. mottetto , dim. of motto word, device. See Mot , Motto .] (Mus.) A composition adapted to sacred words in the elaborate polyphonic church style; an anthem.

Moth <Xpage=947>

Moth (m&ocr;th) , n. A mote. [Obs.]

Shak.

Moth <Xpage=947>

Moth , n. ; pl. Moths (m&ocr;thz) . [OE. mothe , AS. mo&edh;&edh;e ; akin to D. mot , G. motte , Icel. motti , and prob. to E. mad an earthworm. Cf. Mad , n. , Mawk .] 1. (Zo\'94l.) Any nocturnal lepidopterous insect, or any not included among the butterflies; as, the luna moth ; Io moth ; hawk moth .

2. (Zo\'94l.) Any lepidopterous insect that feeds upon garments, grain, etc.; as, the clothes moth ; grain moth ; bee moth . See these terms under Clothes , Grain , etc.

3. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of various other insects that destroy woolen and fur goods, etc., esp. the larv\'91 of several species of beetles of the genera Dermestes and Anthrenus . Carpet moths are often the larv\'91 of Anthrenus. See Carpet beetle , under Carpet , Dermestes , Anthrenus .

4. Anything which gradually and silently eats, consumes, or wastes any other thing.

Moth blight (Zo\'94l.) , any plant louse of the genus Aleurodes , and related genera. They are injurious to various plants. -- Moth gnat (Zo\'94l.) , a dipterous insect of the genus Bychoda , having fringed wings. -- Moth hunter (Zo\'94l.) , the goatsucker. -- Moth miller (Zo\'94l.) , a clothes moth. See Miller , 3, (a) . -- Moth mullein (Bot.) , a common herb of the genus Verbascum ( V. Blattaria ), having large wheel-shaped yellow or whitish flowers.

Moth-eat <Xpage=947>

Moth"-eat` (?) , v. t. To eat or prey upon, as a moth eats a garment. [Rarely used except in the form moth-eaten , p.p. or a.]

Ruin and neglect have so moth-eaten her. Sir T. Herbert.

Mothen <Xpage=947>

Moth"en (?) , a. Full of moths. [Obs.]

Fulke.

Mother <Xpage=947>

Moth"er (?) , n. [OE. moder , AS. m\'d3dor ; akin to D. moeder , OS. m\'d3dar , G. mutter , OHG. muotar , Icel. m\'d3&edh;ir , Dan. & Sw. moder , OSlav. mati , Russ. mate , Ir. & Gael. mathair , L. mater , Gr. mh`thr , Skr. m\'bet&rsdot; ; cf. Skr. m\'be to measure. \'fb268. Cf. Material , Matrix , Metropolis , Father .] 1. A female parent; especially, one of the human race; a woman who has borne a child.

2. That which has produced or nurtured anything; source of birth or origin; generatrix.

Alas! poor country! ... it can not Be called our mother , but our grave. Shak.

I behold ... the solitary majesty of Crete, mother of a religion, it is said, that lived two thousand years. Landor.

3. An old woman or matron. [Familiar]

4. The female superior or head of a religious house, as an abbess, etc.

5. Hysterical passion; hysteria. [Obs.]

Shak.

Mother Carey's chicken (Zo\'94l.) , any one of several species of small petrels, as the stormy petrel ( Procellaria pelagica ), and Leach's petrel ( Oceanodroma leucorhoa ), both of the Atlantic, and O. furcata of the North Pacific. -- Mother Carey's goose (Zo\'94l.) , the giant fulmar of the Pacific. See Fulmar . -- Mother's mark (Med.) , a congenital mark upon the body; a n\'91vus.

Mother <Xpage=947>

Moth"er , a. Received by birth or from ancestors; native, natural; as, mother language ; also acting the part, or having the place of a mother; producing others; originating.

It is the mother falsehood from which all idolatry is derived. T. Arnold.

Mother cell (Biol.) , a cell which, by endogenous divisions, gives rise to other cells (daughter cells); a parent cell. -- Mother church , the original church; a church from which other churches have sprung; as, the mother church of a diocese . -- Mother country , the country of one's parents or ancestors; the country from which the people of a colony derive their origin. -- Mother liquor (Chem.) , the impure or complex residual solution which remains after the salts readily or regularly crystallizing have been removed. -- Mother queen , the mother of a reigning sovereign; a queen mother. -- Mother tongue . (a) A language from which another language has had its origin . (b) The language of one's native land; native tongue. -- Mother water . See Mother liquor (above). -- Mother wit , natural or native wit or intelligence.

Mother <Xpage=947>

Moth"er , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mothered (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Mothering .] To adopt as a son or daughter; to perform the duties of a mother to.

The queen, to have put lady Elizabeth besides the crown, would have mothered another body's child. Howell.

Mother <Xpage=947>

Moth"er , n. [Akin to D. modder mud, G. moder mold, mud, Dan. mudder mud, and to E. mud . See Mud .] A film or membrane which is developed on the surface of fermented alcoholic liquids, such as vinegar, wine, etc., and acts as a means of conveying the oxygen of the air to the alcohol and other combustible principles of the liquid, thus leading to their oxidation.

&hand; The film is composed of a mass of rapidly developing micro\'94rganisms of the genus Mycoderma , and in the mother of vinegar the micro\'94rganisms ( Mycoderma aceti ) composing the film are the active agents in the Conversion of the alcohol into vinegar. When thickened by growth, the film may settle to the bottom of the fluid. See Acetous fermentation , under Fermentation .

Mother <Xpage=947>

Moth"er , v. i. To become like, or full of, mother, or thick matter, as vinegar.

Mothered <Xpage=947>

Moth"ered (?) , a. Thick, like mother; viscid.

They oint their naked limbs with mothered oil. Dryden.

Motherhood <Xpage=947>

Moth"er*hood (?) , n. The state of being a mother; the character or office of a mother.

Mothering <Xpage=947>

Moth"er*ing , n. 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.

Mother-in-law <Xpage=947>

Moth"er-in-law` (?) , n. The mother of one's husband or wife.

Motherland <Xpage=947>

Moth"er*land` (?) , n. The country of one's ancestors; -- same as fatherland .

Motherless <Xpage=947>

Moth"er*less , a. [AS. m\'d3dorle\'a0s .] Destitute of a mother; having lost a mother; as, motherless children .

Motherliness <Xpage=947>

Moth"er*li*ness (?) , n. The state or quality of being motherly.

Motherly <Xpage=947>

Moth"er*ly , a. [AS. m\'d3dorlic .] 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 <Xpage=947>

Moth"er*ly , adv. In a manner of a mother.

Mother-naked <Xpage=947>

Moth"er-na`ked (?) , a. Naked as when born.

Mother-of-pearl <Xpage=947>

Moth"er-of-pearl` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) 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 <Xpage=947>

Moth"er-of-thyme` (?) , n. (Bot.) An aromatic plant ( Thymus Serphyllum ); -- called also wild thyme .

Motherwort <Xpage=947>

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

<page="948"> Page 948

Mothery <Xpage=948>

Moth"er*y (?) , a. Consisting of, containing, or resembling, mother (in vinegar).

Mothy <Xpage=948>

Moth"y (?) , a. Infested with moths; moth-eaten. "An old mothy saddle."

Shak.

Motif <Xpage=948>

Mo"tif (?) , n. [F.] Motive.

Motific <Xpage=948>

Mo*tif"ic (?) , a. [L. motus motion (fr. movere to move) + facere to make.] Producing motion. [R.]

Motile <Xpage=948>

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

2. Producing motion; as, motile powers .

Motility <Xpage=948>

Mo*til"i*ty (?) , n. [Cf. F. motilit\'82 .] (Physiol.) Capability of motion; contractility.

Motion <Xpage=948>

Mo"tion (?) , n. [F., fr. L. motio , fr. 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.

&hand; 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. [Obs.]

What motion 's this? the model of Nineveh? Beau. & Fl.

&hand; 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. <-- impossible, according to the law of conservation of energy -->

Syn. -- See Movement .

Motion <Xpage=948>

Mo"tion , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Motioned (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. 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. [Obs.]

Shak.

Motion <Xpage=948>

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 <Xpage=948>

Mo"tion*er (?) , n. One who makes a motion; a mover.

Udall.

Motionist <Xpage=948>

Mo"tion*ist , n. A mover. [Obs.]

Motionless <Xpage=948>

Mo"tion*less , a. Without motion; being at rest.