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The act of passing; transit from one place to another; movement from point to point; a going by, over, across, or through; as, the passage of a man or a carriage; the passage of a ship or a bird; the passage of light; the passage of fluids through the pores or channels of the body. What! are my doors opposed against my…

strong nitric acid, chlorine, etc. It is then not easily acted upon by acids. -- Passive movement (Med.), a movement of a part, in order to exercise it, made without the assistance of the muscles which ordinarily move the part. -- Passive obedience (as used by writers on government), obedience or submission of the su…

A movement, by a small body of troops beyond the line of outposts, to explore the country and gain intelligence of the enemy's whereabouts.

nish dance for which full state costume is worn; -- so called from the resemblance of its movements to those of the peacock. [Written also pavane, paven, pavian, and pavin.]

g into, with a pointed instrument; especially, to strike, pick, etc., with repeated quick movements.

Same as Brownian movement, under Brownian.

ly to and fro by the alternate action of gravity and momentum. It is used to regulate the movements of clockwork and other machinery.

on of the muscular fibers of their walls, forcing their contents onwards; as, peristaltic movement. -- Per`i*stal"tic*al*ly, adv.

A tracing (with the sphygmograph) of the movements of a vein, or of the venous pulse.

e end by a flexible membrane. A stylus attached to some point of the membrane records the movements of the latter, as it vibrates, upon a moving cylinder or plate.

The relation of light to the movements of plants and their organs; the study of the phenomena of curvatures induced by the stimulus of light. --Pho`to*dy*nam"ic (#), Pho`to*dy*nam"ic*al (#), a.

The influence of light on the movements of low organisms, as various infusorians, the zoöspores of certain algæ, etc.; also, the tendency to follow definite directions of motion or assume definite positions under such influence. If the migration is toward the source of light, it is termed positive phototaxis; if away f…

An instrument for registering the movements of the diaphragm, or midriff, in respiration.

reats of the earth's exterior physical features, climate, life, etc., and of the physical movements or changes on the earth's surface, as the currents of the atmosphere and ocean, the secular variations in heat, moisture, magnetism, etc.; physical geography.

Motion; movement, regular or irregular; as, the play of a wheel or piston; hence, also, room for motion; free and easy action. "To give them play, front and rear." Milton. The joints are let exactly into one another, that they have no play between them. Moxon.

ity or state of being pliable; flexibility; as, pliability of disposition. "Pliability of movement." Sir W. Scott.

The act or movement of forming a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision; -- the opposite of deployment.

A tracing of the respiratory movements, obtained by a pneumatograph or stethograph.

An instrument for recording the movements of the thorax or chest wall during respiration; -- also called stethograph.

A little; -- used chiefly in phrases indicating the time or movement; as, poco più allegro, a little faster; poco largo, rather slow. Poco a poco Etym: [It.] (Mus.) Little by little; as, poco a poco crescendo, gradually increasing in loudness.