motionless
adjUK /ˈməʊʃənlɛs/ · US /ˈmoʊʃənlɛs/
Etymology From motion + -less.
1
At rest, stationary, immobile, not moving.
- Nothing was to be seen save flat meadows, cows for the most part feeding unconcernedly, and silvery pollard willows motionless in the warm sunlight.1895–1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “What I Saw of the Destruction of Weybridge and Shepperton”, in “The War of the Worlds”, in Pearson’s, London: C[yril] Arthur Pearson, published 1897, pages 41–42:
- Nothing could be more businesslike than the construction of the stout dams, and nothing more gently rural than the limpid lakes, with the grand old forest trees marshalled round their margins like a veteran army that had marched down to drink, only to be stricken motionless at the water’s edge.1913, Robert Barr, “The Mad Miss Maturin”, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad, London; Melbourne, Vic.; Toronto, Ont.: Ward, Lock & Co., →OCLC, pages 147–148:
1 more example
- We remain motionless in the platform while the ex-Edinburgh draws forward, the points are set, and it is propelled back for attachment. The Edinburgh locomotive uncoupled, a brake test is performed and we're away.2023 February 8, Greg Morse, “Crossing the border... by Sleeper”, in RAIL, number 976, page 43:
- Derived terms
- motionlessly, motionlessness