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.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
1 Cor. xv.
52. 2. Impulsive
power; force; momentum.
The moments or quantities of motion in
bodies.
Berkley. Touch, with lightest moment of impulse,
His free will.
Milton. 3. Importance, as in influence or effect; consequence; weight or value; consideration.
Matters
of great moment.
Shak.
It is an abstruse speculation, but also of far less moment and consequence of us than the others.
Bentley.
4. An essential element; a deciding point, fact, or consideration; an essential or influential circumstance.
5.
(Math.) An infinitesimal change in a varying
quantity; an increment or decrement. [Obs.]
6.
(Mech.) Tendency, or measure of
tendency, to produce motion, esp. motion about a fixed point
or axis.
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.
Syn. -- Instant; twinkling; consequence; weight; force; value; consideration; signification; avail.
Hear it pronounced