motile adj : (of spores or microorganisms) capable of movement n : one whose prevailing mental imagery takes the form of inner feelings of action

English

Etymology

From Latin motus.

Pronunciation

/'məʊtaɪl/

Adjective

1. having the power to move spontaneously

   • 1993: It seemed to him that, if there were a Holy Trinity as the churches taught, this must be unified through a manner of capillary action, Father merging into Son and both into Holy Ghost. So God is motile as the blood is. — Anthony Burgess, A Dead Man in Deptford

2. of, or related to those mental images that arise from the sensations of bodily movement and position

Related terms

• motility

Motility is a biological term which refers to the ability to move spontaneously and independently. It can apply to either single-celled or multicellular organisms.

In cellular biology or biomedical engineering, motility often refers to directed cell movement down gradients established in biopolymers. Examples are:

• movement along a chemical gradient (see chemotaxis)
• movement along a rigidity gradient (see durotaxis)
• movement along a gradient of cell adhesion sites (see haptotaxis)