1. (n.) A process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; the doing of something; exertion of power or force, as when one body acts on another; the effect of power exerted on one body by another; agency; activity; operation; as, the action of heat; a man of action.

2. (n.) An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor.

3. (n.) The event or connected series of events, either real or imaginary, forming the subject of a play, poem, or other composition; the unfolding of the drama of events.

4. (n.) Movement; as, the horse has a spirited action.

5. (n.) Effective motion; also, mechanism; as, the breech action of a gun.

6. (n.) Any one of the active processes going on in an organism; the performance of a function; as, the action of the heart, the muscles, or the gastric juice.

7. (n.) Gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the suiting of his attitude, voice, gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the feelings.

8. (n.) The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted.

9. (n.) A suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice; in a broad sense, a judicial proceeding for the enforcement or protection of a right, the redress or prevention of a wrong, or the punishment of a public offense.

10. (n.) A right of action; as, the law gives an action for every claim.

11. (n.) A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks.

12. (n.) An engagement between troops in war, whether on land or water; a battle; a fight; as, a general action, a partial action.

13. (n.) The mechanical contrivance by means of which the impulse of the player's finger is transmitted to the strings of a pianoforte or to the valve of an organ pipe.

accomplished fact accomplishment achievement act acta actions activeness activism activity acts ad hoc measure address adventure aerial combat affectation affray agency air amphibious operations anagnorisis angle answer architectonics architecture argument armored combat artifice atmosphere automatic control award background ball battle battle royal bearing behavior behavior pattern behavioral norm behavioral science big time blow brush bullfight business carriage cascade control case catastrophe cause cause in court characterization clash clash of arms clockworks cockfight color combat combined operations complication comportment condemnation conduct conflict consideration continuity contrivance control action countermove coup course of action culture pattern custom dealings decision decree deed deliverance demarche demeanor denouement deportment design determination development device diagnosis dictum direction discharge dodge dogfight doing doings doom drive train driving dry run effect effectiveness effectuation effort electronic control embroilment encounter endeavor energy engagement enterprise episode exchange of blows execution exercise exertion expedient exploit fable fait accompli falling action feat feedback control fight fighting finding fire fight fluid operations folkway force fray fulfillment fun fun and games function functioning funmaking game gear gest gestures gimmick go goings-on good time great fun ground combat guise hand hand-to-hand combat hand-to-hand fight handiwork handling high old time high time house-to-house combat improvisation incident influence initiative innards job judicial process jury-rig jury-rigged expedient last expedient last resort last shift laughs lawsuit legal action legal case legal proceedings legal process legal remedy line litigation liveliness local color logistics lovely time machinery maintien makeshift management maneuver maneuvers manipulation manner manners means measure mechanism method methodology methods mien militancy military operations minor operations mission modus vivendi mood motif motion motions move movement movements moves mythos naval combat observable behavior occupation operancy operation operations order overseas operations overt act passage passage of arms pattern performance performing peripeteia picnic pis aller pitched battle plan play pleasant time plot poise political activism port pose posture power power train practice praxis precedent presence procedure proceeding proceedings process production prognosis pronouncement prosecution quarrel reaction recognition remedy res gestae