Man of motley, a fool. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
Mot"ley-mind`ed (?), a. Having a mind of a jester; foolish. Shak.
Mot"mot (?), n. [Cf. Momot.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of
long-tailed, passerine birds of the genus Momotus, having a strong
serrated beak. In most of the species the two long middle tail feathers
are racket-shaped at the tip, when mature. The bird itself is said by
some writers to trim them into this shape. They feed on insects,
reptiles, and fruit, and are found from Mexico to Brazil. The name is
derived from its note. [Written also momot.]
||Mo"to (?), n. [It.] (Mus.) Movement; manner of movement;
||particularly, movement with increased rapidity; -- used especially in
||the phrase con moto, directing to a somewhat quicker movement; as,
||andante con moto, a little more rapidly than andante, etc.
Mo"ton (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Anc. Armor) A small plate covering
the armpit in armor of the 14th century and later.
Mo"tor (?), n. [L., fr. movere, motum, to move.] 1. One who, or that
which, imparts motion; a source of mechanical power.
2. (Mach.) A prime mover; a machine by means of which a source of
power, as steam, moving water, electricity, etc., is made available for
doing mechanical work.
{ Mo"tor (?), Mo"to*ry (?), Mo*to"ri*al (?), } a. [L. motorius that has
motion. See Motor, n.] Causing or setting up motion; pertaining to
organs of motion; -- applied especially in physiology to those nerves
or nerve fibers which only convey impressions from a nerve center to
muscles, thereby causing motion.
Mo"tor*man (?), n. A man who controls a motor.
Mo`tor*path"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to motorpathy.
Mo*tor"pa*thy (?), n. [L. motor a mover + Gr. &?;, &?;, to suffer.]
(Med.) Kinesiatrics.
Motte (?), n. [Cf. F. motte a clod, clump, or hillock.] A clump of
trees in a prairie. [Local, U.S.]
Mot"tle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mottled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mottling
(?).] [From Mottled.] To mark with spots of different color, or shades
of color, as if stained; to spot; to maculate.
Mot"tle, n. A mottled appearance.
Mot"tled (?), a. [From Motley.] Marked with spots of different colors;
variegated; spotted; as, mottled wood. "The mottled meadows." Drayton.
Mot"to (?), n.; pl. Mottoes (#). [It. motto a word, a saying, L. muttum
a mutter, a grunt, cf. muttire, mutire, to mutter, mumble; prob. of
imitative origin. Cf. Mot a word.] 1. (Her.) A sentence, phrase, or
word, forming part of an heraldic achievment.
2. A sentence, phrase, or word, prefixed to an essay, discourse,
chapter, canto, or the like, suggestive of its subject matter; a short,
suggestive expression of a guiding principle; a maxim.
It was the motto of a bishop eminent for his piety and good works,
. . . "Serve God, and be cheerful."
Addison.
Mot"toed (?), a. Bearing or having a motto; as, a mottoed coat or
device.
Mot"ty (?), a. Full of, or consisting of, motes. [Written also mottie.]
[Scot.]
The motty dust reek raised by the workmen.
H. Miller.
||Mou`choir" (m`shwär"), n. [F.] A handkerchief.
Mou*ez"zin (?), n. [F.] See Muezzin.
Mouf"lon (?), n. [F. mouflon.] (Zoöl.) A wild sheep (Ovis musimon),
inhabiting the mountains of Sardinia, Corsica, etc. Its horns are very
large, with a triangular base and rounded angles. It is supposed by
some to be the original of the domestic sheep. Called also musimon or
musmon. [Written also moufflon.]
Mought (?), obs. imp. of May. Might.
||Mouil*la"tion (?), n. [See Mouillé.] (Phon.) The act of uttering the
||sound of a mouillé letter.
||Mouil`lé" (?), a. [F., lit., wet.] (Phon.) Applied to certain
||consonants having a "liquid" or softened sound; e.g., in French, l or
||ll and gn (like the lli in million and ni in minion); in Italian, gl
||and gn; in Spanish, ll and ñ; in Portuguese, lh and nh.
{ Mould (mld), Mould"er (?), Mould"y (?), etc. } See Mold, Molder,
Moldy, etc.
Moule (ml), v. i. [OE. moulen. See Mold.] To contract mold; to grow
moldy; to mold. [Obs.]
Let us not moulen thus in idleness.
Chaucer.
{ Mou*line" (?), Mou"li*net (?), } n. [F. moulinet, orig., a little
mill, dim. of moulin mill. See Mill.] 1. The drum upon which the rope
is wound in a capstan, crane, or the like.