motile

[ moht-l, moh-til ]

/ ˈmoʊt l, ˈmoʊ tɪl /

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See synonyms for: motile / motility on Thesaurus.com

adjective

Biology. moving or capable of moving spontaneously: motile cells; motile spores.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of motile

1860–65; <Latin mōt(us) (past participle of movēre to move, set in motion) + -ile

OTHER WORDS FROM motile

mo·til·i·ty

[moh-til-i-tee], /moʊˈtɪl ɪ ti/, nounnon·mo·tile, adjectiveun·mo·tile, adjective

Words nearby motile

moth orchid, mothproof, mothy, Mo Ti, motif, motile, motility, motion, motion capture, motionless, motion picture

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use motile in a sentence

So in 2019, a team of researchers decided to focus on the more powerful total motile sperm count.
Male Fertility Is Declining – Studies Show That Environmental Toxins Could Be A Reason|LGBTQ-Editor|July 30, 2021|No Straight News
They found that the proportion of men with a normal total motile sperm count had declined by approximately 10% over the previous 16 years.
Male Fertility Is Declining – Studies Show That Environmental Toxins Could Be A Reason|LGBTQ-Editor|July 30, 2021|No Straight News
A more accurate measure looks at the total motile sperm count, which evaluates the fraction of sperm that are able to swim and move.
Male Fertility Is Declining – Studies Show That Environmental Toxins Could Be A Reason|LGBTQ-Editor|July 30, 2021|No Straight News
Moreover, “a xenobot may be induced to fragment and form two small ones,” she said, “and maybe some cells will divide and differentiate into motile and nonmotile ones.”
Cells Form Into ‘Xenobots’ on Their Own|Philip Ball|March 31, 2021|Quanta Magazine

Probably not by accident—EM3 was a vibrio species, belonging to a genus of motile, comma-shaped bacteria native to salt water.
When Evolution Is Infectious - Issue 90: Something Green|Moises Velasquez-Manoff|September 30, 2020|Nautilus
The organism is an actively motile spiral thread, about four times the diameter of a red corpuscle in length.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
These bacilli (Fig. 89) are large (5 to 10 long), non-motile, and usually arranged end to end in chains.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It is not unlike a pus-corpuscle in size and general appearance, but is actively motile.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Spirochte pallida is an extremely slender, spiral, motile thread, with pointed ends.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Cocci exhibit this movement, but with the exception of the Micrococcus agilis, the cocci are non-motile.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre

British Dictionary definitions for motile

motile

/ (ˈməʊtaɪl) /

adjective

capable of moving spontaneously and independently

noun

psychol a person whose mental imagery strongly reflects movement, esp his own

Derived forms of motile

motility (məʊˈtɪlɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for motile

C19: from Latin mōtus moved, from movēre to move

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for motile

motile

[ mōt′l, mō′tīl′ ]

Moving or able to move by itself. Sperm and certain spores are motile.

Other words from motile

motility noun (mō-tĭl′ĭ-tē)

motile

Origin of motile

OTHER WORDS FROM motile

Words nearby motile

Words related to motile

How to use motile in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for motile

Derived forms of motile

Word Origin for motile

Scientific definitions for motile

Other words from motile