move

Etymology

From Middle English moven, moeven, meven, borrowed from Old Northern French mover, moveir and Old French mouver, moveir (“to move”) (compare modern French mouvoir from Old French movoir), from Latin movēre, present active infinitive of moveō (“move; change, exchange, go in or out, quit”), from Proto-Indo-European *mew- (“to move, drive”). Cognate with Lithuanian mauti (“to push on, rush”), Sanskrit मीवति (mī́vati, “pushes, presses, moves”), Middle Dutch mouwe (“sleeve”). More at muff. Largely displaced native English stir, from Middle English stiren, sturien, from Old English styrian.

verb

1. (intransitive) To change place or posture; to go, in any manner, from one place or position to another.
   A ship moves rapidly.
   I was sitting on the sofa for a long time, feeling too lazy to move.
   God moves in a myſterious way, / His wonders to perform; / He plants his footſteps in the ſea, / And rides upon the ſtorm. 1780, William Cowper, “Light Shining out of Darkneſs”, in Twenty-ſix Letters on Religious Subjects[…] To which are added Hymns[…], 4th edition, page 252
   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
2. (intransitive) To act; to take action; to begin to act
   to move in a matter
   Come on guys, let's move: there's work to do!
3. (intransitive) To change residence, for example from one house, town, or state, to another; to go and live at another place. See also move out and move in.
   I decided to move to the country for a more peaceful life.
   They moved closer to work to cut down commuting time.
   I'm moving next week but I don't have anything packed yet.
   The rook moved from a8 to a6.
   My opponent's counter was moving much quicker round the board than mine.
4. (transitive, ergative) To cause to change place or posture in any manner; to set in motion; to carry, convey, draw, or push from one place to another
   The waves moved the boat up and down.
   The horse moves a carriage.
5. (transitive, chess, board games) To transfer (a piece) from one space or position on the board to another.
   She moved the queen closer to the centre of the board.
   He rolled a 5 and moved his counter to Boardwalk, the most expensive property on the Monopoly board.
6. (transitive) To excite to action by the presentation of motives; to rouse by representation, persuasion, or appeal; to influence.
   This song moves me to dance.
7. (transitive) To arouse the feelings or passions of; especially, to excite to tenderness or compassion, to excite (for example, an emotion).
   That book really moved me.
8. (transitive, intransitive) To propose; to recommend; specifically, to propose formally for consideration and determination, in a deliberative assembly; to submit
   I move to repeal the rule regarding obligatory school uniform.
   Two days were thus wasted in the quarrel between the consuls. It was clear that while Faminius was present no decision could be arrived at. Owing to Flaminius' absence through illness, Aemilius seized the opportunity to move a resolution which the senate adopted. Its purport was that the Ambracians should have all their property restored to them; they should be free to live under their own laws; they should impose such harbour dues and other imposts by land and sea as they desired, provided that the Romans and their Italian allies were exempt. 1905, Livy, translated by Canon Roberts, From the Founding of the City, Book 38
   And therefore they are to be blamed alike, both who moue and who decline warre[…] 1630, John Hayward, The Life and Raigne of King Edward the Sixth
9. (transitive, obsolete) To mention; to raise (a question); to suggest (a course of action); to lodge (a complaint).
10. (transitive, obsolete) To incite, urge (someone to do something); to solicit (someone for or of an issue); to make a proposal to.
    "Sir," seyde Sir Boys, "ye nede nat to meve me of such maters, for well ye wote I woll do what I may to please you." 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book VII
11. (transitive, obsolete) To apply to, as for aid.
12. (law, transitive, intransitive) To request an action from the court.
    An attorney moved the court to issue a restraining order.
    The district attorney moved for a non-suit.
13. (intransitive, obsolete) To bow or salute upon meeting.
14. (transitive, business) To sell or market (especially physical inventory or illicit drugs).
    This business will fail if it can't move the inventory quickly.

noun

1. The act of moving; a movement.
   A slight move of the tiller, and the boat will go off course.
2. An act for the attainment of an object; a step in the execution of a plan or purpose.
   He made another move towards becoming a naturalized citizen.
3. A formalized or practiced action used in athletics, dance, physical exercise, self-defense, hand-to-hand combat, etc.
   She always gets spontaneous applause for that one move.
   He can win a match with that one move.
4. The event of changing one's residence.
   The move into my fiancé's house took two long days.
   They were pleased about their move to the country.
5. A change in strategy.
   I am worried about our boss's move.
   It was a smart move to bring on a tall striker to play against the smaller defenders.
6. A transfer, a change from one employer to another.
   Robin van Persie squandered United's best chance late on but otherwise it was a relatively comfortable afternoon for Liverpool's new goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who has yet to concede a Premier League goal since his £9m summer move from Sunderland. 1 September 2013, Phil McNulty, BBC Sport
7. (board games) The act of moving a token on a gameboard from one position to another according to the rules of the game.
   The best move of the game was when he sacrificed his rook in order to gain better possession.
   It's your move! Roll the dice!
   If you roll a six, you can make two moves.
8. (board games, usually in the plural) A round, in which each player has a turn.
   You can win in three moves if you do that.