[syn: consequence, import, moment]
5. a turning force produced by an object acting at a distance (or a measure of that force);
6. the n-th moment of a distribution is the expected value of the n-th power of the deviations from a fixed value;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Moment \Mo"ment\, n. [F. moment, L. momentum, for movimentum
movement, motion, moment, fr. movere to move. See Move, and
cf. Momentum, Movement.]
1. A minute portion of time; a point of time; an instant; as,
at that very moment.
[1913 Webster]
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. --1 Cor.
xv. 52.
[1913 Webster]
2. Impulsive power; force; momentum.
[1913 Webster]
The moments or quantities of motion in bodies.
--Berkley.
[1913 Webster]
Touch, with lightest moment of impulse,
His free will. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
3. Importance, as in influence or effect; consequence; weight
or value; consideration.
[1913 Webster]
Matters of great moment. --Shak.
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It is an abstruse speculation, but also of far less
moment and consequence of us than the others.
--Bentley.
[1913 Webster]
4. An essential element; a deciding point, fact, or
consideration; an essential or influential circumstance.
[1913 Webster]
5. (Math.) An infinitesimal change in a varying quantity; an
increment or decrement. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
6. (Mech.) Tendency, or measure of tendency, to produce
motion, esp. motion about a fixed point or axis.
[1913 Webster]
Moment of a couple (Mech.), the product of either of its
forces into the perpendicular distance between them.
Moment of a force. (Mech.)
(a) With respect to a point, the product of the intensity
of the force into the perpendicular distance from the
point to the line of direction of the force.
(b) With respect to a line, the product of that component
of the force which is perpendicular to the plane
passing through the line and the point of application
of the force, into the shortest distance between the
line and this point.
(c) With respect to a plane that is parallel to the force,
the product of the force into the perpendicular
distance of its point of application from the plane.
Moment of inertia, of a rotating body, the sum of the mass
of each particle of matter of the body into the square of
its distance from the axis of rotation; -- called also
moment of rotation and moment of the mass.
Statical moment, the product of a force into its leverage;
the same as moment of a force with respect to a point,
line, etc.
Virtual moment. See under Virtual.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Instant; twinkling; consequence; weight; force; value;
consideration; signification; avail.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
moment
n 1: a particular point in time; "the moment he arrived the
party began" [syn: moment, minute, second, instant]
2: an indefinitely short time; "wait just a moment"; "in a mo";
"it only takes a minute"; "in just a bit" [syn: moment,
mo, minute, second, bit]
3: at this time; "the disappointments of the here and now"; "she
is studying at the moment" [syn: here and now, present
moment, moment]
4: having important effects or influence; "decisions of great
consequence are made by the president himself"; "virtue is of
more moment than security"; "that result is of no
consequence" [syn: consequence, import, moment] [ant:
inconsequence]
5: a turning force produced by an object acting at a distance
(or a measure of that force)
6: the n-th moment of a distribution is the expected value of
the n-th power of the deviations from a fixed value
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
203 Moby Thesaurus words for "moment":
a breath, abundant year, academic year, accent, advantage, annum,
ascendancy, authority, avail, bissextile year, bit, breath,
breathing, calendar month, calendar year, century, charisma, charm,
clout, common year, compulsion, concern, concernment, consequence,
consequentiality, consideration, control, coup, crack, credit, day,
decade, decennary, decennium, defective year, dominance,
domination, drive, driving force, effect, eminence, emphasis,
enchantment, esteem, excellence, fateful moment, favor,
fiscal year, flash, force, fortnight, good feeling, gravity,
greatness, half a jiffy, half a mo, half a second, half a shake,
high order, high rank, hold, hour, impellent, impelling force,
impetus, import, importance, impulse, impulsion, incentive,
incidental power, incitement, influence, influentiality,
influentialness, insinuation, instant, interest, interval,
irresistible force, jiff, jiffy, juncture, kairos, leadership,
leap year, leverage, little, little bit, little while, lunar month,
lunar year, lunation, luster, lustrum, magnetism, magnitude,
man-hour, mark, mastery, materiality, merit, microsecond,
millennium, millisecond, minute, moment of truth, momentousness,
momentum, month, moon, motive power, no time, note, pair of winks,
paramountcy, period, personality, persuasion, pith, point, potency,
power, precedence, predominance, preeminence, pregnant moment,
preponderance, pressure, prestige, primacy, priority, profit,
prominence, propulsion, psychological moment, purchase, quarter,
quinquennium, rank, regular year, reign, repute, rule, say, season,
sec, second, self-importance, semester, seniority, seriousness,
session, shake, short spell, short time, sidereal year,
significance, signification, small space, solar year, space, span,
spell, split second, spurt, stage, stature, stress, stretch,
stroke, suasion, subtle influence, suggestion, sun, superiority,
supremacy, sway, term, thrust, tick, time, time lag, trice,
trimester, twelvemonth, twink, twinkle, twinkling, twitch,
two shakes, upper hand, use, value, week, weekday, weight,
weightiness, while, whip hand, wink, worth, year