843
Magnusson, Magnus
are not very serious. The magistrates can decide whether a
case should be sent to CROWN COURT (= a more powerful
court). About 90% of criminal cases in England and Wales are
judged in Magistrates' Courts, and the public is allowed to
watch them. → see Feature on page A23
mag-lev train /'mægləv treɪn/ n magnetic levitation train; a
new type of very fast train that runs without wheels using
MAGNETIC FIELDS. Maglev trains are used in Japan and are
being developed in Germany and the US.
mag-ma /'mægmə/ n [U] hot melted rock found below the
solid surface of the earth
Mag-na Car-ta /ˌmægnə 'kɑːtə|-'kɑːr-/ an important
document in British history which King John of England
signed in 1215 at RUNNYMEDE in the south of England. By
doing this he agreed that limits could be set on royal
powers. Later, especially in the 17th century, the document
was seen as a statement of basic CIVIL RIGHTS. Four copies of
the original document still exist. → see picture on page A47
magna cum lau-de /ˌmægnə kʌm 'lɔːdi, -kʌm 'laʊdi|
-kʌm 'laʊdi/ n Lat the second of the three levels of high
HONOURS given to American university or college students
when they finish their studies: He graduated magna cum
laude. → see also CUM LAUDE, SUMMA CUM LAUDE; see
Cultural Note at DEGREE³ (CULTURAL NOTE 2)
mag-nan-i-mous /mæg'nænɪməs/ adj fml apprec showing
very generous qualities towards others, beyond what is usual
or necessary: It was very magnanimous of you to overlook his
rude behaviour. —-ly adv —-mity /ˌmægnə'nɪmɪti/ n [U]
mag-nate /'mægneɪt, -nət/ n sometimes derog a wealthy and
powerful man, especially in business or industry: an oil/
shipping/ media magnate
mag-ne-sia /mæg'niːʃə, -ʒə/ n [U] a light white powder
used as a stomach medicine
mag-ne-si-um /mæg'niːziəm/ n [U] a common silver-white
metal that is a simple substance (ELEMENT), burns with a
bright white light, and is used in making FIREWORKS and
mixtures of metals
magnet
mag-net /'mægnɪt/ n 1 a piece of iron or steel which can
make other metal objects come towards it either naturally or
because of an electric current being passed through it 2 [(for,
to)] a person or thing that attracts people: Buckingham
Palace is a great magnet for tourists.
mag-net-ic /mæg'netɪk/ adj 1 having the qualities of a
magnet: The iron has lost its magnetic force. | (fig.) her mag-
netic personality 2 of or using MAGNETISM especially for the
purpose of recording and storing information for use in a
computer system: a magnetic disk | magnetic storage media
→ compare OPTICAL —-ally /kli/ adv
mag,netic 'field n the space in which a magnetic force is
effective round an object which has magnetic power: the
Earth's magnetic field
mag,netic 'head n a HEAD
mag,netic 'media [U] any of the magnetically covered
plastics such as DISKS or MAGNETIC TAPE used for storing
computer information: The document was sent on magnetic
media.
mag,netic 'north n [U] the direction towards the north in
the Earth's magnetic field as shown by the needle of a
COMPASS
mag,netic 'pole n either of two points, not firmly fixed but
near the North Pole and the South Pole of the Earth, towards
which the COMPASS needle points from any direction
mag,netic 'storm n a sudden change in the Earth's mag-
netic field, caused by the sun, which can change radio waves
and make it difficult to receive broadcasts
mag,netic 'tape also mag tape infml — n a TAPE on which
sound or other information can be recorded
mag-net-is-m /'mægnətɪzəm/ n [U] 1 (the science dealing
with) the qualities of MAGNETS 2 strong personal charm; the
ability to attract: He persuaded them to join him by the sheer
magnetism of his personality.
mag-net-ize also -ise BrE /'mægnətaɪz/ v [T] 1 to make into
a magnet: The iron was magnetized by passing electricity
through wire wound round it. 2 to have a powerful attrac-
tion or influence on: Her speech magnetized the crowd.
mag-ne-to /mæg'niːtə/ n pl. -tos a piece of equipment
containing one or more magnets used for producing electri-
city, especially for igniting (IGNITE) the petrol in the engine of
a car, motorcycle etc → compare DYNAMO, GENERATOR
mag-ne-to-sphere /mæg'niːtəʊsfɪər/ n the part of the
ATMOSPHERE of the Earth or other PLANETS in which PARTI-
CLES are influenced by the planet's MAGNETIC FIELD
'magnet ,school n AmE a SECONDARY school which special-
izes in a particular subject, such as science or the arts, and
draws its students from a wide area
Mag-nif-i-cat /mæg'nɪfɪkæt/ a song in praise of God which
is used in some Christian church services. Its words are the
words said by MARY in the New Testament of the Bible, after
she discovers that she is going to be the mother of Jesus.
mag-ni-fi-ca-tion /ˌmægnɪfɪ'keʃən/ n 1 [U] the act of
magnifying 2 [C] the power of magnifying to a stated
number of times bigger than in reality: This microscope has
a magnification of eight. (= it makes things look eight times
larger)
mag-nif-i-cent /mæg'nɪfɪsənt/ adj wonderfully fine, grand,
generous etc: The royal wedding was a magnificent
occasion. | What a magnificent day! (= a day of very fine
weather) | a magnificent gift —-ly adv —-cence n [U]
magnify
magnifying glass
mag-ni-fy /'mægnɪfaɪ/ v [T] 1 to make (something) appear
larger than it really is: A microscope will magnify these germs,
so that you can actually see them. | (fig.) The importance of his
remark has been magnified out of all proportion. 2 old use or
bibl to praise (God) highly —-fier n
'magnifying ,glass n a piece of glass (LENS), usually curved
on one or both sides, with a frame and handle, which
magnifies things that are seen through it
mag-ni-tude /'mægnɪtjuːd|'tuːd/ n 1 [U] fml greatness of
size or importance: I hadn't realized the magnitude of the
problem. 2 [C] tech the degree of brightness of a star: a star
of the second magnitude
mag-no-li-a /mæg'nəʊliə/ n 1 [C] a tree with large sweet-
smelling flowers 2 [U] a very pale pinkish-white colour
Mag-nox re-ac-tor /'mægnɒks riˌæktə||-'nɑːks-/ trademark
an old type of British NUCLEAR REACTOR
mag-num /'mægnəm/ n (a large bottle containing) a meas-
ure of about 1.5 litres, especially for wine
,magnum 'opus also opus magnum n fml a great book or
work of art considered the most important piece of work of
the person who produced it; MASTERPIECE
Mag-nus-son, Mag-nus /'mægnəsən, 'magnəs/ (1929-)
an Icelandic television PRESENTER living and working in
Britain, who asked the questions on the popular television
QUIZ programme Mastermind from 1972 to 1997. If he was in