Magnetism

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Magnetism \Mag"net*ism\, n. [Cf. F. magn['e]tisme.]
     The property, quality, or state, of being magnetic; the
     manifestation of the force in nature which is seen in a
     magnet. At one time it was believed to be separate from the
     electrical force, but it is now known to be intimately
     associated with electricity, as part of the phenomenon of


     {electromagnetism}.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     2. The science which treats of magnetic phenomena.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Power of attraction; power to excite the feelings and to
        gain the affections. "By the magnetism of interest our
        affections are irresistibly attracted." --Glanvill.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Animal magnetism}, Same as {hypnotism}, at one time believe
        to be due to a force more or less analogous to magnetism,
        which, it was alleged, is produced in animal tissues, and
        passes from one body to another with or without actual
        contact. The existence of such a force, and its
        potentiality for the cure of disease, were asserted by
        Mesmer in 1775. His theories and methods were afterwards
        called mesmerism, a name which has been popularly applied
        to theories and claims not put forward by Mesmer himself.
        See {Mesmerism}, {Biology}, {Od}, {Hypnotism}.
  
     {Terrestrial magnetism}, the magnetic force exerted by the
        earth, and recognized by its effect upon magnetized
        needles and bars.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  magnetism
       n 1: attraction for iron; associated with electric currents as
            well as magnets; characterized by fields of force [syn:
            {magnetic attraction}, {magnetic force}]
       2: the branch of science that studies magnetism [syn: {magnetics}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  144 Moby Thesaurus words for "magnetism":
     acceptability, adduction, affinity, agacerie, agreeability, allure,
     allurement, appeal, ascendancy, attractance, attraction,
     attractiveness, attractivity, authority, beguilement, beguiling,
     bewitchery, bewitchment, blandishment, cajolery, capillarity,
     capillary attraction, captivation, centripetal force, charisma,
     charm, charmingness, clout, come-hither, consequence, control,
     credit, desirability, diamagnetism, dominance, domination, drag,
     draw, drawing power, effect, electromagnetism, eminence,
     enchantment, enthrallment, enticement, entrapment, esteem,
     fascination, favor, ferromagnetism, flirtation, forbidden fruit,
     force, gilbert, glamour, good feeling, gravitation, gravity, hold,
     hysteresis, hysteresis curve, importance, incidental power,
     inducement, influence, influentiality, insinuation, interest,
     inveiglement, invitation, irresistibility, leadership, leverage,
     likability, lovability, lure, magic, magnetic circuit,
     magnetic conductivity, magnetic creeping, magnetic curves,
     magnetic dip, magnetic elements, magnetic figures, magnetic flux,
     magnetic friction, magnetic hysteresis, magnetic lag,
     magnetic moment, magnetic permeability, magnetic potential,
     magnetic remanence, magnetic variation, magnetic viscosity,
     magnetics, magnetization, mastery, maxwell, moment,
     mutual attraction, paramagnetism, permeability, personality,
     persuasion, potency, power, predominance, preponderance, pressure,
     prestige, provocativeness, pull, pulling power, purchase, reign,
     repute, residual magnetism, rule, say, seducement, seduction,
     seductiveness, sex appeal, snaring, suasion, subtle influence,
     suggestion, supremacy, sway, sympathy, tantalization, temptation,
     traction, tug, unobjectionableness, upper hand, weber, weight,
     whip hand, winning ways, winsomeness, witchcraft, witchery,
     wooing
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  MAGNETISM, n.  Something acting upon a magnet.
      The two definitions immediately foregoing are condensed from the
  works of one thousand eminent scientists, who have illuminated the
  subject with a great white light, to the inexpressible advancement of
  human knowledge.