Emotion \E*mo"tion\, n. [L. emovere, emotum, to remove, shake, stir up; e out + movere to move: cf. F. ['e]motion. See Move, and cf. Emmove.]

A moving of the mind or soul; excitement of the feelings, whether pleasing or painful; disturbance or agitation of mind caused by a specific exciting cause and manifested by some sensible effect on the body.

How different the emotions between departure and return! --W. Irving.

Some vague emotion of delight. --Tennyson.

Syn: Feeling; agitation; tremor; trepidation; perturbation; passion; excitement.

Usage: Emotion, Feeling, Agitation. Feeling is the weaker term, and may be of the body or the mind. Emotion is of the mind alone, being the excited action of some inward susceptibility or feeling; as, an emotion of pity, terror, etc. Agitation may the bodily or mental, and usually arises in the latter case from a vehement struggle between contending desires or emotions. See Passion. ``Agitations have but one character, viz., that of violence; emotions vary with the objects that awaken them. There are emotions either of tenderness or anger, either gentle or strong, either painful or pleasing.'' --Crabb.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)