degauss

[ dee-gous ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to demagnetize (a ship's hull, electrical equipment, etc.) by means of electric coils.

Origin of degauss

1
First recorded in 1935–40; de- + gauss

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British Dictionary definitions for degauss

degauss

/ (diːˈɡaʊs, -ˈɡɔːs) /


verb(tr)
  1. to neutralize the magnetic field of a ship's hull (as a protection against magnetic mines) using equipment producing an opposing magnetic field

  2. another word for demagnetize

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for degauss

degauss

[ dē-gous ]


  1. To neutralize or rebalance the magnetic field of a magnetized object, such as a computer monitor or the read/write head of a disk drive or tape recorder.

  2. To erase information from a magnetic disk, tape, or other magnetic storage device.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.