Definition of "motion"

Several parties of hop-pickers joined the train at the intermediate stations, and the guard performed the acrobatic feat of walking along the footboards of the coaches to examine tickets, while the train was in motion.

1947 May and June, “Notes and News: The Kent & East Sussex Railway Today”, in Railway Magazine, page 182

This is the great wheel to which the clock owes its motion.

1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. […], London: […] R. Norton for T. Garthwait, […]

Secondly, When a body is once in motion it will continue to move forever, unless something stops it. When a ball is struck on the surface of the earth, the friction of the earth and the resistance of the air soon stop its motion.

1839, Denison Olmsted, A Compendium of Astronomy, page 95

Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion.

c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene iii]

when God gave him reason, he gave him freedom to choose, for reason is but choosing; he had bin else a meer artificiall Adam, such an Adam as he is in the motions.

1644, John Milton, Areopagitica

"I say, it is no uneven jot, to pass from the more faint and obscure examples of Spermatical life to the more considerable effects of general Motion in Minerals, Metalls, and sundry Meteors, whose easie and rude shapes may have no need of any Principle of Life, or Spermatical form distinct from the Rest or Motion of the particles of the Matter."

1662, Henry More, An Antidote Against Atheism, Book II, A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More, p. 53

Let a good man obey every good motion rising in his heart, knowing that every such motion proceeds from God.

1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727

From that time to the present (three weeks) she has taken one pill every night, and had one comfortable motion every morning without the aid of any other aperient, and her health has much improved.

1857, William Braithwaite, The Retrospect of Medicine

The independent motions of different parts sounding together constitute counterpoint.

1878, George Grove, A Dictionary of Music and Musicians

What motion's this? the model of Nineveh?

c. 1613, Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, “Wit at Several Weapons. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, Act I, scene i

[...] three 2-4-2 tank engines were secured from the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds. As the line began on the Quay in Bideford, the locomotives had their motion encased, as shown in the illustrations on page 414.

1939 June, “Pertinent Paragraphs: The Bideford, Westward Ho! & Appledore Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 459

After spending a few paragraphs blasting Obamacare, including motioning directly at the Democrats during his sharpest condemnations, the president laid down a few markers for what he wanted to see replace the current system.

2017 March 1, Anthony Zurcher, “Trump addresses Congress: A kinder, gentler president”, in BBC News‎

Here's Gloucester, a foe to citizens, One that still motions war and never peace

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iii]