Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - move

~1 v 1 »CHANGE PLACE« to change your place or position, or to make something do this  (Don't move or I'll shoot. | You mustn't get off the train while it's still moving. | move sth)  (Can you move your car - it's blocking the road. | We'll have to move the bed closer to the wall. | move about BrE /around)  (I could hear someone moving around upstairs. | can't move (=be stuck or trapped))  (Get me out of here - I can't move.) 2 »NEW HOUSE/OFFICE« to go to live or work in a different place  (When are you moving to Memphis?) + into  (They've moved into a bigger office.) move house/home BrE (=go to live in a different house)  (My parents kept moving house because of my dad's job.) 3 »CHANGE JOB/CLASS ETC« to change to a different job, class etc, or to make someone change to a different job, class etc  (move sb to/into)  (His teacher wants him moved to a higher class. | move to/from)  (She's just moved from the sales department.) 4 »CHANGE YOUR OPINION« a) to change from one opinion or way of thinking to another  (Neither side is willing to move on the issue of territory.) + towards/away from  (The two political parties have moved closer towards each other in recent months.) b) to persuade someone to change their opinion  (She won't be moved - it doesn't matter what you say to her.) 5 »MAKE SB SAD« to make someone feel strong feelings, especially of sadness or sympathy  (be deeply/greatly moved)  (I was deeply moved by their story. | move sb to tears)  (The child's suffering moved us to tears.)  (- see also moving) 6 »PROGRESS« to progress in a particular way or at a particular rate  (Things moved quickly once the contract was signed. | The negotiations seem to be moving in the right direction.) 7 be/feel moved to do sth to want to do something because you feel angry, sad etc  (Hearing so much nonsense talked, I felt moved to speak on the subject.) 8 get moving informal a) used when telling someone to hurry or when saying that you must hurry  (We'd better get moving if we're going to catch that plane.) b) spoken used to tell someone that you need to leave a place  (It's time we got moving - I have to be up early tomorrow.) 9 get things moving informal to make a process or event start happening 10 »CHANGE ARRANGEMENTS« to change the time or order of something  (move sth to/from)  (Could we move the meeting to Thursday?) 11 »CHANGE SUBJECT/ACTIVITY« to change from one subject or activity to another + away from/off  (We seem to be moving away from the main point of the discussion.)  (- see also move on move1) 12 »START DEALING WITH« to start doing something, especially in order to achieve something or deal with a problem + on/against etc  (The governor has yet to move on any of the recommendations in the report.) move fast/quickly  (You'll have to move fast if you want to get a place on the course.) 13 »LEAVE« BrE especially spoken to go somewhere or leave a place  (It's time we were moving.) 14 »GAMES« to change the position of one of the pieces used to play a game such as chess 15 »AT A MEETING« formal to officially make a proposal at a meeting  (move that)  (The chairman moved that the meeting be adjourned. | move an amendment BrE (=propose a change))  (They want to move an amendment to the bill.) 16 »GO FAST« informal to travel very fast  (This car can really move!) 17 »SELL STH« informal to sell something quickly  (You should watch these juggling kits move. The kids love 'em.) 18 not move a muscle to stay completely still 19 move with the times to change the way you think and behave, as the world changes around you 20 you can't move/you can hardly move spoken used to say that a place is very full and there is not much space  (The bar was so crowded you could hardly move.) 21 you can't move for spoken used to say that a place is full of a particular kind of people or things  (You couldn't move for police in town this morning.) 22 move in a society/world/circle to spend a lot of time with a particular kind of people and know them well  (Lady Olga moved in a different social world from me.)  (- see also move the goalposts goalpost (2), move in for the kill kill2 (2), move heaven and earth heaven (10), when the spirit moves you spirit1 (13)) move along phr v 1 BrE to move further towards the back or front of something  (The bus-driver asked us all to move along.) 2 T move someone along) especially BrE to officially order someone to leave a public place  (The police moved us along almost as soon as we started playing.) move away phr v to go to live in a different area  (Her children had moved away and she was left on her own.) move in phr v 1 to start living in a new house  (We decided not to move in until we'd finished decorating.) 2 to start living with someone in the same house  (She wants her boyfriend to move in with her.) 3 to take control of a situation, often using your power and influence unfairly  (The big multinationals moved in and started pushing up prices.) 4 to go towards a place or group of people in order to attack them or take control of them + on  (Already a special police task force was preparing to move in on the gang.) move off phr v if a vehicle or group of people moves off, they start to leave the place where they are  (The conductor blew his whistle and the train slowly moved off.) move on phr v 1 »CONTINUE JOURNEY« to leave the place where you have been staying and continue your journey  (That's enough rest - it's time to move on.) 2 »CHANGE SUBJECT« to start talking about a new subject in a discussion, book etc  (I think we've covered this topic - is it all right if we move on?) 3 »CHANGE JOB/CLASS« to leave your present job, class, or activity and start doing another one  (Children usually move on to secondary school at 11.) 4 »PROGRESS/DEVELOP« a) to develop in your life, and become older and more experienced + from  (I felt that I'd moved on from my college days, and didn't want to go back.) b) to become more modern, advanced, or complicated than before  (In my day you could only get them in black-and-white, but things have moved on since then.) 5 move on to higher/better things humorous to get a better job or social position  (I expect you'll be moving on to higher things now that you have your degree.) 6 »TIME« if time moves on, the year moves on etc, the time passes 7 time is moving on BrE spoken used to say that you must leave soon or do something soon, because it is getting late  (Time's moving on - we'd better get back to the car.) 8 »MAKE SB LEAVE« T move someone on) BrE to officially order someone to leave a public place  (We got moved on by the police for making too much noise.) move out phr v 1 to leave the house where you are living now in order to go and live somewhere else + of  (They want to find a house somewhere and move out of their apartment.) 2 if a group of soldiers moves out, they leave a place 3 AmE informal to leave  (Is everything packed? Then let's move out.) move over phr v 1 to change position so that there is more space for someone else  (Move over so that we can all sit down.) 2 to change to a different system, opinion, group of people etc  (Most companies have moved over to computer-aided design systems.) move up phr v 1 BrE to change position in order to make more space for other people or things, or to be near someone else  (There's room for one more if everyone moves up a bit.) 2 to get a better job in a company, or move to a higher class in a school  (Everyone here's very ambitious - they all want to move up as quickly as possible.) 3 move up in the world often humorous to get a better job or social position  (John's moved up in the world since you knew him - he's a director now.) ~2 n 1 »ACTION« something that you decide to do  (She's still thinking about her next move. | a good/wise/smart etc move)  (He said he was starting his own company, which sounded like a smart move.) 2 make a move a) to move in a particular direction, especially in order to attack someone or to escape  (If anyone makes a move, I'll shoot.) + towards/for  (He suddenly made a move towards the door.) b) to do something to achieve a particular result  (Neither side had made a move to resolve the dispute.) c) BrE informal to leave a place  (It's getting late - we ought to make a move.) 3 be on the move a) to be travelling from one place to the next  (We have received reports that the rebel army is on the move.) b) to be busy and active  (She's always on the move, isn't she?) c) to be changing and developing a lot  (Georgian England was a society on the move.) 4 get a move on spoken used to tell someone to hurry  (Get a move on or we'll be late!) 5 make the first move to do something first, especially in order to end a quarrel or start a relationship  (Neither was willing to make the first move towards reconciliation.) 6 watch/follow sb's every move to carefully watch everything that someone does, especially because you think they are doing something illegal  (I have three officers watching his every move.) 7 make no move to do sth to make no attempt to prevent someone from doing something  (They were staring, but made no move to stop us.) 8 »GOING TO A NEW PLACE« the process of leaving one house, office etc, and going to live or work in a different one  ("How was the move?" "Exhausting!") 9 »PROGRESS« something that is done to improve a situation  (It's a move in the right direction.) 10 »GAMES« a) an act of changing the position of one of the objects in a game such as chess b) a way in which this may be done, according to the rules  (I'm learning all the different moves.) c) the time when a player can move one of these objects  (It's your move.)