stop-motion

noun

An animation technique wherein physical objects are slightly altered and photographed one picture at a time to give an illusion of movement when displayed in sequence.

Similar
stop-go animation
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Meanings

nounstop-motion (countable and uncountable, plural stop-motions)

plural stop-motions · alternative stop motion

  1. uncountableartsAn animation technique wherein physical objects are slightly altered and photographed one picture at a time to give an illusion of movement when displayed in sequence.

    Jan Švankmajer’s stop-motion looks angry, rough, and primal; Henry Selick’s is so polished and smooth that it resembles CGI.

    2012 April 26, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits :”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 28 May 2013

    Synonyms: stop-go animation

  2. countableA device used for automatically stopping a machine or engine when a fault or error is detected.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn animation technique wherein physical objects are slightly altered and photographed one picture at a time to give an illusion of movement when displayed in sequence.

Similar
stop-go animation

Translations

Arabic إِيقَاف الْحَرَكَة
  • إِيقَاف الْحَرَكَة (ʔīqāf al-ḥaraka)animation technique
Finnish stop motion, animointi kuvaamalla ruutu ruudulta
  • stop motionanimation technique
  • animointi kuvaamalla ruutu ruudultaanimation technique
  • pysäytyskuva-animointianimation technique
French animation en volume
  • animation en volumeanimation technique
German Stop-Motion-Technik, Stop-Motion-Verfahren
  • Stop-Motion-Technikanimation technique
  • Stop-Motion-Verfahrenanimation technique
Japanese ストップモーション, 齣撮り
  • ストップモーション (sutoppu-mōshon)animation technique
  • 齣撮り (komadori)animation technique
Korean 스톱 모션
  • 스톱 모션 (seutop mosyeon)animation technique
Portuguese quadro por quadro
  • quadro por quadroanimation technique
Spanish animación de fotograma/cuadro a/por fotograma/cuadro, animación en volumen
  • animación de fotograma/cuadro a/por fotograma/cuadroanimation technique
  • animación en volumenanimation technique
Cite this entry
APA

stop-motion. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stop-motion

MLA

“stop-motion.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stop-motion. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stop-motion,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stop-motion.

Source: stop-motion on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.