motile
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motile
- /ˈməʊtaɪl/ UK
Where it comes from
From Latin mōtus, perfect passive participle of moveō (“to move”, whence English move), + -ile.
adjective more motile · most motile
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In organisms: having the power to move spontaneously.
1914 Shelford, Victor E.: The American Naturalist: Comparison of the Responses of Sessile and Motile Plants and Animals
Sessile organisms are those which are sedentary in habit, whether attached or possessing slight powers of locomotion. Motile organisms are those that habitually move about. Vagile
Similar: vagile, ambulatory, animate, kinetic, mobile, motile, motive, movable · Opposite: sessile
- In organs or organelles: capable of producing motion. 1857 Philip Henry Gosse: On the Presence of Motile Organs , and the Power of Locomotion, in Foraminifera ... . These [Foraminifera] were always found, a few hours after the weed had been deposited in my vases, adhering to the glass, with the pseudopodia extended ... constantly roaming ; they crawled
- In organs: having the power to move their contents, or to change their shape or tension by writhing or contracting as required by their particular physiological functions. '2007 H E König et al: Veterinary Anatomy of Domestic Mammals Visceral motility is responsible for transporting the contents of the different organs. Thus it controls the amount of contents found in any organ at any one time. Through contraction and dilatation mechanisms, the food bolus passes throu
- Of or relating to those mental images that arise from the sensations of bodily movement and position.
noun motiles
- A person whose prevailing mental imagery takes the form of inner feelings of action, such as incipient pronunciation of words, muscular innervations, etc.
Translations
Talk about this word "motile." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/motile. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. motile. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/motile "motile." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/motile.Cite this
@misc{motile_2026,
title = {motile},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/motile},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
