maglev

American  

[mag-lev] / ˈmægˌlɛv /

Or Maglev

noun

1. magnetic levitation.

---

maglev British  

/ ˈmæɡˌlɛv /

noun

1. a type of high-speed train that runs on magnets supported by a magnetic field generated around the track

---

Etymology

Origin of maglev

First recorded in 1965–70; by shortening

Example Sentences

For now, most real-world maglev installations are far more modest than the sideways-moving elevator visions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Additionally, observes Scientific American, superconductors repel magnetic fields, which could lead to more efficient magnetic levitation, or maglev, trains.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2023

This property lets researchers levitate magnets over a superconducting material as a fun experiment—and it could also lead to more efficient high-speed maglev trains.

From Scientific American • Mar. 10, 2023

I bought this one at Daiso for a couple of bucks; my dad’s got a much nicer model of the world record-setting MLX01 maglev train that I also got to try when I studied abroad.

From The Verge • Apr. 27, 2022

Replacements for the massive coal- and oil-burning wrecks that he and his crew worked to destroy all day long: gull-white sails, carbon-fiber hulls, and faster than anything except a maglev train.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi