Phrase guide

perpetuum mobile

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /pəːˌpɛtjʊəm ˈməʊbɪleɪ/
  • /pəːˌpɛtjʊəm ˈməʊbɪli/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A perpetual motion machine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Pieces of music, or parts of pieces, characterised by a continuous steady stream of notes, usually at a rapid tempo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, human-sciences, lifestyle, music, musicology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Whole pieces, or large parts of pieces, which are to be played repeatedly, often an indefinite number of times.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, human-sciences, lifestyle, music, musicology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin perpetuum (neutral inflection of perpetuus “perpetual”) + Latin mōbile (neutrum of mōbilis “mobile, moving”), used together as a noun, thus literally meaning “perpetual mover”. Although often said to literally mean “perpetual motion”, the latter in Latin is mōtus perpetuus. A perpetuum mobile is a device that exhibits perpetual motion.