1. 1. The act or an instance of moving; a change in place or position.
   2. A particular manner of moving.
2. A change in the location of troops, ships, or aircraft for tactical or strategic purposes.
3. 1. A series of actions and events taking place over a period of time and working to foster a principle or policy: a movement toward world peace.
   2. An organized effort by supporters of a common goal: a leader of the labor movement.
4. A tendency or trend: a movement toward larger kitchens.
5. A change in the market price of a security or commodity.
6. 1. An evacuation of the bowels.
   2. The matter so evacuated.
7. The suggestion or illusion of motion in a painting, sculpture, or design.
8. The progression of events in the development of a literary plot.
9. The rhythmical or metrical structure of a poetic composition.
10. Music. A self-contained section of an extended composition.
11. A mechanism, such as the works of a watch, that produces or transmits motion.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.