fluid motion
3
3.8
- noun
- /ˈfluːɪd ˈmoʊʃən/
- In one fluid motion, he had me by my collar and was yanking me to my feet.
- in one fluid motion
- in a single fluid motion
Examples
-
With a fluid motion, she danced across the stage, captivating the audience.
-
In one fluid motion, Patrick removes a .45 caliber pistol from a holster beneath his coat, expertly screwing a silencer onto it.
Fiction book (2000) -
Then she closed the drawer and turned back to face him in a powerful, fluid motion.
Fiction book (1998) -
With the same fluid motion we've seen earlier, he throws it at Tony.
Fiction book (1992) -
In an easy, fluid motion, he whips it back over the fence to the game on the other side.
Fiction book (1996) -
With one fluid motion, it surged forward, plunged, and was gone.
Fiction book (2002) -
"Sorry I'm late," Patrick says, kissing me on the cheek and steering the car back into traffic in one fluid motion.
Fiction book (1994) -
In a fluid motion, waves of red give way to harshly textured concrete as the man reaches the floor.
Fiction book (2000) -
He poured the water into the glass in one fluid motion, without spilling a drop.
-
The athlete moved with such fluid motion that it seemed like he was gliding over the ground.
Synonyms
1
4.0
Smooth, graceful motions of the body that look easy
1
3.2
A smooth, attractive way of moving like a dancer or swan
Antonyms
How Smooth
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'fluid' (moving continuously with smooth grace) modifying 'motion' (movement), yielding 'smooth, continuous movement.' This adjective+noun combination follows normal English compounding patterns and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the phrase.
Etymology
Fluid motion comes from comparing movement to a flowing liquid. The word fluid, a liquid like water, moves without sharp stops, so calling movement fluid motion means it looks 'smooth' and 'continuous'.