MAGNITUDE

magnitude

(noun) the property of relative size or extent (whether large or small); “they tried to predict the magnitude of the explosion”; “about the magnitude of a small pea”

magnitude

(noun) relative importance; “a problem of the first magnitude”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

magnitude (countable and uncountable, plural magnitudes)

(uncountable, countable) The absolute or relative size, extent or importance of something.

(countable) An order of magnitude.

(mathematics) A number, assigned to something, such that it may be compared to others numerically

(mathematics) Of a vector, the norm, most commonly, the two-norm.

(astronomy) A logarithmic scale of brightness defined so that a difference of 5 magnitudes is a factor of 100.

(uncountable) The apparent brightness of a star, with lower magnitudes being brighter; apparent magnitude

(countable) A ratio of intensity expressed as a logarithm.

(seismology) A measure of the energy released by an earthquake (e.g. on the Richter scale).

Anagrams

• gamnitude

Source: Wiktionary


Mag"ni*tude, n. Etym: [L. magnitudo, from magnus great. See Master, and cf. Maxim.]

1. Extent of dimensions; size; -- applied to things that have length, breath, and thickness. Conceive those particles of bodies to be so disposed amongst themselves, that the intervals of empty spaces between them may be equal in magnitude to them all. Sir I. Newton.

2. (Geom.)

Definition: That which has one or more of the three dimensions, length, breadth, and thickness.

3. Anything of which greater or less can be predicated, as time, weight, force, and the like.

4. Greatness; grandeur. "With plain, heroic magnitude of mind." Milton.

5. Greatness, in reference to influence or effect; importance; as, an affair of magnitude. The magnitude of his designs. Bp. Horsley. Apparent magnitude (Opt.), the angular breadth of an object viewed as measured by the angle which it subtends at the eye of the observer; - - called also apparent diameter.

– Magnitude of a star (Astron.), the rank of a star with respect to brightness. About twenty very bright stars are said to be of first magnitude, the stars of the sixth magnitude being just visible to the naked eye. Telescopic stars are classified down to the twelfth magnitude or lower. The scale of the magnitudes is quite arbitrary, but by means of photometers, the classification has been made to tenths of a magnitude.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

10 May 2024

MASQUERADE

(verb) pretend to be someone or something that you are not; “he is masquerading as an expert on the internet”; “This silly novel is masquerading as a serious historical treaty”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest collection of coffee pots belongs to Robert Dahl (Germany) and consists of 27,390 coffee pots as of 2 November 2012, in Rövershagen, Germany.

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