| mother-of-pearl |
the glossy hard iridescent substance that forms the inner surface of some shells and is commonly used in jewelry and inlaid decoration. |
| mother of vinegar |
see mother2. |
| Mother's Day |
a holiday to honor mothers, observed in the US, Canada, and the UK on the second Sunday in May. |
| mother superior |
(often caps.) the head of a Christian religious order for women. |
| mother tongue |
one's first or native language. [2 definitions] |
| mother wit |
inborn or natural intelligence or common sense. |
| motherwort |
any of a variety of weedy plants of the mint family that bear clusters of small pink or purple flowers. |
| mothproof |
not susceptible to damage caused by moth larvae. [2 definitions] |
| mothy |
infested by moths. |
| motif |
a distinct formal unit such as a design, theme, or musical phrase that may repeat in, dominate, characterize, or be a prominent feature of an aesthetic or decorative work. [2 definitions] |
| motile |
capable of independent motion. [2 definitions] |
| motion |
the process, manner, or instance of changing place; movement. [7 definitions] |
| motionless |
without motion; unmoving. |
| motion picture |
a series of photographic images projected in rapid succession on a screen, creating the illusion of natural and continuous motion. [2 definitions] |
| motion-sensing |
able to detect motion electronically. |
| motion sickness |
nausea and dizziness induced by the motion of an airplane, car, ship, or the like. |
| motivate |
to cause to move or act by giving incentive or inspiration. |
| motivation |
an instance or the process of motivating. [3 definitions] |
| motivational research |
in advertising and marketing, the systematic assessment of consumer attitudes toward products and services. |
| -motive |
moving, or relating to motion. |
| motive |
an idea, need, desire, or impulse that causes a person to act in a particular way or do a particular thing; reason. [2 definitions] |