motor memory
- noun
- /ˈmoʊtər ˈmɛməri/
- Specialized
:
memoria motora
- After practicing for weeks, she was amazed at how her motor memory helped her ride the bicycle again without hesitation.
Examples
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The athlete's victory was largely due to his developed motor memory, allowing him to perform complex routines effortlessly.
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That may be why men who had exercised after learning the new skill performed worst during the first motor memory recall test.
Blog text (32) -
Our results seemed to contradict other daytime nap studies that supported that napping could improve memories and motor memory tasks.
Academic text (2012) -
But muscle memory—or "motor memory," as it is more correctly referred to among scientists—exists and can be quite potent.
Blog text (32) -
Typing without looking at the keyboard demonstrates her strong motor memory for the letters.
Synonyms
6
3.8
A skill that lets you do a movement without thinking after much practice
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is a straightforward composition: 'motor' (relating to movement) + 'memory' (capacity to retain information) yields 'memory for movement or motor skills', which directly matches the provided definition. This compositional pattern is common and cross‑linguistically transparent (e.g., 'muscle memory'), so a B1 learner who knows the parts will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The noun motor memory comes from a simple picture: motor (a part that moves) and memory together make the idea of a movement being saved in the body like a habit. That's why it means 'the ability to do learned movements without thinking'.