a strong emotional
connection with g — see also
FATHERLAND
motherless /'mAbalas;
NAmE -darl-/ adj. having no mother
because she has died or does not live with you
1 mother lode noun [usually sing.] (especially NAmE) a very rich source of
gold, silver, etc. in a mine ± fl/fc; -fij M: {figurative) Her own experiences
have provided her with a mother lode of material for her songs. M g
motherly /'mAQali;
NAmE -arli/ adj. having the qualities
of a good mother; typical of a mother ;
#
3k 1$ HE] maternal : motherly
love M
# Jt£ 1$ %k 0 She was a kind, motherly woman. MU—fill
Mother
'Nature noun [u] the natural world,
when you consider it as a force that affects the world and humans
mother-of-'pearl
(also
pearl) noun [U] the hard smooth
shiny substance in various colours that forms a layer inside the shells of some
types of shellfish and is used in
making buttons, decorative objects, etc.
M;
'Mother’s
Day noun a day on which mothers traditionally
receive cards and gifts from their children, celebrated in Britain on the
fourth Sunday in Lent and in the US on the 2nd Sunday in May
'mother ship noun a large ship or spacecraft that smaller ones go out
from
.mother’s
'milk noun [u] a thing that a
person really needs or enjoys Jazz
is
mother’s milk to me.
.mother’s
'ruin noun [U] {BrE, old-fashioned, informal) the alcoholic drink gin
.Mother
Su'perior noun a woman who is the
head of a female religious community, especially a convent (= a community of nuns) j£
,
mother-to-' be noun [pi mothers-to-be)
a
woman who is pregnant
.mother
'tongue noun the language that you first learn to speak
when you are a child H771
FIRST LANGUAGE
motif /mau'tiif;
NAmE mou-/ noun 1 a design or a pattern
used as a decoration %£ tfr m M ; ® :
wallpaper with a flower motif
2
a subject, an idea or a phrase that is repeated and developed in a work of
literature or a piece of music ( i'i,
M — see also
LEITMOTIF saa THEME
ITIO-tion
Onr/'mauJ'n; NAmE'moujn/ noun, verb
m noun 1 [U, sing.] the act or
process of moving or the way sth moves is $(j; if}:
& if 3LW O The swaying
motion of the ship was
making me feel seasick. itlfcd&fiWC.'. 0
(formal) Do not alight while
the train is still in motion (= moving). 0 Rub the cream in
with a circular motion. $$ H III # ?LiSi ^ „ — see also slow motion 2 [C] a particular movement
made usually with your hand or your head, especially to communicate sth ('%
ij£ fs £ f-M j ft
BIH gesture: At a single motion of his hand, the room fell silent. 3 [C] a
formal proposal that is
discussed and voted on at a meeting EfiX', $1 i$C: to table/put
forward a motion tlft — mifoiX 0 to propose a motion (= to be the main
speaker in favour of a motion) ft zft 0 The motion was adopted/carried by
six votes to one. IMa\
4 [C] [BrE, formal) an act of emptying the
bowels; the waste matter
that is emptied from the bowels ilfjg; ~Xi!& ITST771 go through the motions (of
doing sth) to do or say sth because you have to, not because you
really want to M set/put sth
in 'motion to start sth moving ih ••• They set
the machinery in motion, M d ^ #11# ff „
0
(figurative) The wheels of change
have been set in motion.
■
verb ~ to sb (to do sth) | ~ (for) sb to do sth to make a movement,
usually with your hand or head to show sb
what you want them to do ( ) iiftsfrft,
[V] I motioned to the
waiter. flc;fn]##tTT>iv¥-;f‘o 0 He motioned for us to
follow him. 0 [VN]
She motioned him into her office. Mf0M^
$E0 [also VN to inf]
mo-tion-less /'maujnlas;
NAmE 'moujn-/ adj. not moving; still ff it ; — rf :
She
stood absolutely
motionless.
.motion
'picture noun [especially NAmE) a film/movie that is
made for the cinema
'motion
sickness noun [u] the unpleasant feeling
that you are going to vomit, that
some people have when they are moving, especially in a vehicle # ^ ^ ( X
ts
#%■>
motivate /'mautiveit; NAmE 'mou-/ verb 1 [VN] [often passive] to be the
reason why sb does sth or behaves in a particular way J$ X ■ •• #J ibtfl; ■ M. H 0 : He is motivated
entirely by self-interest.
2
to make sb want to do sth, especially sth that involves hard work and effort
Jf£ Efo • • -ft )g ^ fE; M Jgj ; MM: [VN] She’s very good at
motivating her students. M
0 [VN to inf] The plan is designed
to motivate employees to work more efficiently. ji'Hficl] 3 [VN] [SAfrE, formal) to give reasons for
sth that you have stated ( WLPJri&tfi if ) tn ft S & ; 0 ••• M 0 : Please motivate your
answer to question 5. if 5 H^ft^S^„
► mo tiv ated adj.: a racially motivated attack #^|«] oa highly motivated
student (= one who is very
interested and works hard)
£ mo-tiv-ation /.meuti’veijn; NAmE ,mou-/ noun [C, Uj: What is the motivation
behind this sudden change?
'A? o Most people said that
pay was their main motivation for working. A
O He’s intelligent
enough but he lacks
motivation, jtfc
iS RM
'I40
o (SAfrE)
All research proposals must be accompanied by a full motivation, ft if 45.i^ M # ®F % th
|fi0
mo tiv ation al /-Janl/ adj. [formal) : an important motivational factor S ^ (ft i£ iS 0 % mo tiv ator /'mauti- veit9(r); NAmE 'mou-/ noun: Desire for status can
be a powerful motivator, it M ffe iv W % £ nj IM .J® ®
X W
tf}f}o
mo-tive /'mautrv;
NAmE 'mou-/ noun, adj.
mnoun ~ (for sth) a reason for
doing sth ; g
6il: There seemed to be no
motive for the murder,
^ ^ #
X tB W ft" / if] #1 o 0 I’m suspicious of
his motives. S If
1$ ifk W rfoffl 0 0 the profit motive [= the desire to make a
profit) i&fiJftfjzjfiDl
o I have an ulterior motive
in offering to help you.
% >ll' (ft o o note at reason ► mo-tive-less adj. ■. an
apparently motiveless murder/attack ^ ® ± ^ ff tfo 111
• adj. [only before noun] [technical ^ig-) causing movement or
action % zft tfj; is(ft : motive power/force
(= for example,
electricity, to operate machinery) jg
s,
mot juste /.mau '3u:st;
NAmE ,mou/ noun [pi. mots justes /.mau '3u:st; NAmE ,mou/) (from French)
the exact word that is appropriate for the situation to ^ f] M;
mot-ley /'mntli;
NAmE 'maitli/ adj.
[disapproving) consisting
of many different types of people or things that do not seem to belong together
The room was filled with a motley collection of
furniture and paintings. 0
The audience was a motley crew of students and
tourists.
moto-cross /'mautaukras;
NAmE 'moutoukrais/ [BrE also scram-bling) noun [U] the sport of racing
motorcycles over rough ground
moto neur on /.mauta'njuarnn; NAmE ,mouta'nju:ra:n; -'nu:-/ noun = motor neuron
motor 0"w /'mauta(r); NAmE 'mou-/ noun, adj., verb
mnoun 1 a device that uses
electricity, petrol/gas, etc. to produce movement and makes a machine, a
vehicle, a