motile

[ moht-l, moh-til ]

See synonyms for: motile motility on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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

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/, noun
non·mo·tile, adjective
un·mo·tile, adjective

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

How to use motile in a sentence

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
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
Like long rows of hyphens, slender cylindric, non-motile chains joined end to end.
The Social Gangster | Arthur B. Reeve
The latter ultimately divides in the apex of the pollen-tube into two non-motile generative cells.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 | Various
These simple plants may be seen as actively moving cells or as non-motile cells.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 623, December 10, 1887 | Various

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

Origin of motile

C19: from Latin mōtus moved, from movēre to move

Derived forms of motile

motility (məʊˈtɪlɪtɪ), noun

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)

Browse