action
[ ak-shuhn ]
/ ˈæk ʃən /
noun
adjective
characterized by brisk or dynamic action: an action car; an action melodrama.
Idioms for action
Origin of action
SYNONYMS FOR action
synonym study for action
2.
Action,
act,
deed mean something done.
Action applies especially to the doing,
act to the result of the doing. An
action usually lasts through some time and consists of more than one act:
to take action on a petition. An
act is single:
an act of kindness.
Deed emphasizes the finished or completed quality of an act; it may imply an act of some note, good or bad:
an irrevocable deed; a deed of daring.
12. See
battle1.
historical usage of action
English
action comes from Middle English
accioun, action, one of whose common meanings is in the legal domain: “a proceeding instituted by one party against another, or the right to bring such a proceeding.” Another common meaning in Middle English is “something done, an act, a deed.” The Middle English noun comes partly from Anglo-French and Old French and partly from Latin
āctiō (stem
āctiōn- ).
Āctiō is formed from
āc-, the perfect participle stem of the verb
agere, and the noun suffix
-tiō, which is used to form abstract nouns from verbs (here expressing action). Latin
agere has as many meanings as English
do or
make. The original meaning of
agere was “to drive (cattle, horses, goats, beasts of burden), ride (a horse), drive (a chariot).”
Agere is from the same Proto-Indo-European root, ag- “to drive, lead, bring,” as Greek ágein “to lead, drive,” agōgós “a leader” (as in demagogue and pedagogue ). In Celtic, the participle aktos is the root of ambaktos, ambiaktos “one sent around, ambassador,” adopted from Gaulish into Latin as ambactus “servant, retainer.” Germanic adopted the Celtic word as ambachts “servant” in Gothic, ambacht in Old High German, and, much reduced, Amt “office, authority, post, duty” in German.
Agere is from the same Proto-Indo-European root, ag- “to drive, lead, bring,” as Greek ágein “to lead, drive,” agōgós “a leader” (as in demagogue and pedagogue ). In Celtic, the participle aktos is the root of ambaktos, ambiaktos “one sent around, ambassador,” adopted from Gaulish into Latin as ambactus “servant, retainer.” Germanic adopted the Celtic word as ambachts “servant” in Gothic, ambacht in Old High German, and, much reduced, Amt “office, authority, post, duty” in German.
OTHER WORDS FROM action
ac·tion·less, adjective non·ac·tion, noun pre·ac·tion, noun pro·ac·tion, adjectiveWords nearby action
British Dictionary definitions for piece of the action
action
/ (ˈækʃən) /
noun
verb (tr)
to put into effect; take action concerning
matters decided at the meeting cannot be actioned until the following week
interjection
a command given by a film director to indicate that filming is to begin
See also cue 1 (def. 8)
Word Origin for action
C14:
accioun, ultimately from Latin
āctiōn-, stem of
āctiō, from
agere to do, act
Medical definitions for piece of the action
action
[ ăk′shən ]
n.
The state or process of acting or doing.
A deed.
A change that occurs in the body or in a bodily organ as a result of its functioning.
Exertion of force or power.
Idioms and Phrases with piece of the action (1 of 2)
piece of the action
A share in an activity or in the profits, as in They wanted a piece of the action in this land deal. [Slang; mid-1900s]
Idioms and Phrases with piece of the action (2 of 2)
action