a. Relating to biomagnetism. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or exhibiting the phenomena of, diamagnetism; taking, or being of a nature to take, a position at right angles to the lines of magnetic force. See Paramagnetic. [ 1913 Webster ]

Diamagnetic attraction. See under Attraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Any substance, as bismuth, glass, phosphorous, etc., which in a field of magnetic force is differently affected from the ordinary magnetic bodies, as iron; that is, which tends to take a position at right angles to the lines of magnetic force, and is repelled by either pole of the magnet. Contrasted with paramagnetic and ferromagnetic. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of, or according to, diamagnetism. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to electromagnetism. [ 1913 Webster ]

Electro-magnetic engine, an engine in which the motive force is electro-magnetism. --
Electro-magnetic theory of light (Physics), a theory of light which makes it consist in the rapid alternation of transient electric currents moving transversely to the direction of the ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A magnet. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

As the magnetic hardest iron draws. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any metal, as iron, nickel, cobalt, etc., which may receive, by any means, the properties of the loadstone, and which then, when suspended, fixes itself in the direction of a magnetic meridian. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. magneticus: cf. F. magnétique. ] 1. Pertaining to the magnet; possessing the properties of the magnet, or corresponding properties; as, a magnetic bar of iron; a magnetic needle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to, or characterized by, the earth's magnetism; as, the magnetic north; the magnetic meridian. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Capable of becoming a magnet; susceptible to magnetism; as, the magnetic metals. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Endowed with extraordinary personal power to excite the feelings and to win the affections; attractive; inducing attachment. [ 1913 Webster ]

She that had all magnetic force alone. Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Having, susceptible to, or induced by, animal magnetism, so called; hypnotic; as, a magnetic sleep. See Magnetism. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Magnetic amplitude,
attraction,
dip,
induction, etc. See under Amplitude, Attraction, etc. --
Magnetic battery, a combination of bar or horseshoe magnets with the like poles adjacent, so as to act together with great power. --
Magnetic compensator, a contrivance connected with a ship's compass for compensating or neutralizing the effect of the iron of the ship upon the needle. --
Magnetic curves, curves indicating lines of magnetic force, as in the arrangement of iron filings between the poles of a powerful magnet. --
Magnetic elements. (a) (Chem. Physics) Those elements, as iron, nickel, cobalt, chromium, manganese, etc., which are capable or becoming magnetic. (b) (Physics) In respect to terrestrial magnetism, the declination, inclination, and intensity. (c) See under Element. --
Magnetic fluid, the hypothetical fluid whose existence was formerly assumed in the explanations of the phenomena of magnetism; -- no longer considered a meaningful concept. --
Magnetic iron, or
Magnetic iron ore. (Min.) Same as Magnetite. --
Magnetic needle, a slender bar of steel, magnetized and suspended at its center on a sharp-pointed pivot, or by a delicate fiber, so that it may take freely the direction of the magnetic meridian. It constitutes the essential part of a compass, such as the mariner's and the surveyor's. --
Magnetic poles, the two points in the opposite polar regions of the earth at which the direction of the dipping needle is vertical. --
Magnetic pyrites. See Pyrrhotite. --
Magnetic storm (Terrestrial Physics), a disturbance of the earth's magnetic force characterized by great and sudden changes. --
magnetic tape (Electronics), a ribbon of plastic material to which is affixed a thin layer of powder of a material which can be magnetized, such as ferrite. Such tapes are used in various electronic devices to record fluctuating voltages, which can be used to represent sounds, images, or binary data. Devices such as audio casette recorders, videocasette recorders, and computer data storage devices use magnetic tape as an inexpensive medium to store data. Different magnetically susceptible materials are used in such tapes. --
Magnetic telegraph, a telegraph acting by means of a magnet. See Telegraph. [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]

adv. By or as by, magnetism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being magnetic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physics) Any configuration of magnetic fields used to contain a plasma during controlled thermonuclear reactions. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. An device using a magnet (such as a magnetic needle) to indicate the direction of magnetic north. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The angle (at a particular location) between magnetic north and true north; called also magnetic variation. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The angle that a magnetic needle makes with the plane of the horizon.
Syn. -- dip, angle of dip, magnetic inclination, inclination. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A dipole with opposing magnetic poles. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A physical quantity associated with the magnetic field of a dundamental particle; as, An orbiting electron in an atom will have a magnetic dipole moment. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A ditical memory device consisting of a flat disk covered with a magnetic coating on which information is stored; a hard disk, floppy disk, and diskette are typically magnetic disks.
Syn. -- disk, disc. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. An imaginary line paralleling the equator where a magnetic needle has no dip, the dipping needle being horizontal; called also aclinic line. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Physics) The space around a magnet through which it exerts magnetic force; a field of force surrounding a permanent magnet, electrical current, or a moving charged particle; called also magnetic flux and field of magnetic force. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The amount of magnetic flux in a unit area perpendicular to the direction of magnetic flow.
Syn. -- magnetic intensity, magnetic induction, magnetic flux density. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. A measure of the strength of a magnetic field over a given area. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Same as magnetic field. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The amount of magnetic flux in a unit area perpendicular to the direction of magnetic flow.
Syn. -- magnetic field strength, magnetic intensity, magnetic induction. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The force caused by a magnetic field, a force which affects objects having a magnetic field and objects in which a magnetic field can be induced, such as ferromagnetic substances; a magnetic force manifests itself as an attraction for iron. It is associated with electric currents and moving charged paticles as well as permanent magnets.
Syn. -- magnetism, magnetic attraction. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Electronics) An electromagnet (as on a tape recorder) that converts electrical variations into magnetic variations that can be stored on a magnetizable surface and later retrieved. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One versed in the science of magnetism; a magnetist. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as magnetic dip. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. The process that makes a substance magnetic (temporarily or permanently).
Syn. -- magnetization, magnetisation. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Same as magnetic field strength.
Syn. -- magnetic intensity, magnetic flux density. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Physics), n. Same as magnetic field strength.
Syn. -- magnetic flux density. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Magnetite. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The process of supporting an object, such as a vehicle, with a magnetic field so that it does not contact the object supporting it; it is a method used for eliminating friction in moving vehicles, and is used, e.g. in high-speed rail technology where a train is suspended on a magnetic cushion above a magnetized track and so travels free of friction. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Physics), n. A line of force in a magnetic field. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Physics), n. An imaginary line passing through both magnetic poles of the earth. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Mil.) A marine mine that is detonated by a mechanism that detects the nearness of magnetic material (as the steel hull of a ship). A magnetic counter mine may allow the passagw of several ships before detonating. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The torque exerted on a magnet or dipole when it is placed in a magnetic field.
Syn. -- moment of a magnet. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Physics), a hypothetical subatomic particle having only one type of magnetic charge, the magnetic analogue of an electrically charged particle; it has only one magnetic pole instead of the two observed in all common magnetic object; -- it was still not observed as of 1998. [ PJC ]

n. A slender magnet suspended in a magnetic compass on a low-friction mounting; used to indicate the direction of the earth's magnetic pole. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Magneticalness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The direction in which the north-pointing end of a compass needle points; at low latitudes it is close to geographic (true) north, but deviates substantially from true north as one nears the north pole.
Syn. -- north, compass north. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Either of two points where the lines of force of the earth's magnetic field are vertical. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. One of the two ends of a magnet where the magnetic field is strongest. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A device for making records (of sound, data, etc.) on magnetic media such as magnetic tape or wire. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Physics) A phenomenon resulting from quantization in the magnetic field of electrons or atoms or molecules or nuclei exposed to an external magnetic field, by which a narrow frequency band of radio waves may be absorbed and re-emitted by the object. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Medicine) a medical diagnostic procedure utilizing the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance to generate images of internal parts of the body. It depends on the differential absorption of electromagnetic radiation by different types of living tissue in a magnetic field. It is complementary to X-ray imaging in that the softer tissue show more prominently in magnetic resonance images, rather than bone, as with X-rays. It is a non-invasive procedure, allowing such images to be obtained without penetration of the tissue by objects. It is abbreviated MRI. As with computerized tomography, the results are usually presented as images of sequential planar sections of that part of the body of concern to the physician. [ PJC ]

n. The science of magnetism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A sudden disturbance of the earth's magnetic field; caused by emission of particles from the sun. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A long thin plastic ribbon coated with iron oxide or other ferromagnetic material, used to record audio or video signals digital data in the form of small magnetized regions on the tape; it is a common digital data storage medium for computer information.
Syn. -- mag tape, tape. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Same as magnetic declination. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Physics) The specific absorption and re-emission of electromagnetic radiation at characteristic wavelengths by atomic nuclei in a magnetic field. It is abbreviated NMR. The wavelength of the radiation absorbed depends on the type of nucleus, the intensity of the magnetic field, and the local chemical environment in which the nucleus resides. It is the latter effect (called the chemical shift), by which atoms of specific elements in different chemical compounds show a different resonance frequency, which gives rise to the greatest utility of this phenomenon in analyzing the chemical structure of substances. Similar effects of the chemical environment permit the discrimination of different types of living tissue by virtue of their different chemical composition, thus permitting utilization of the phenomenon in medical diagnostic instruments, especially for magnetic resonance imaging. [ PJC ]

a. [ Pref. para- + magnetic. ] (Physics) Having or exhibiting paramagnetism; -- opposed to diamagnetic and contrasted with ferromagnetic. -- n. A paramagnetic substance. Faraday. -- Par`a*mag*net"ic*al*ly adv. [1913 Webster]

a. Of or pertaining to photomagnetism. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pyro- + magnetic. ] (Physics) Acting by the agency of heat and magnetism; as, a pyromagnetic machine for producing electric currents. [ 1913 Webster ]