magma
[ mag-muh ]
/ ˈmæg mə /
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noun, plural mag·mas, mag·ma·ta [mag-muh-tuh]. /ˈmæg mə tə/.
Geology. molten material beneath or within the earth's crust, from which igneous rock is formed.
any crude mixture of finely divided mineral or organic matter.
Chemistry, Pharmacology. a paste composed of solid and liquid matter.
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Origin of magma
1400–50; late Middle English <Latin: dregs, leavings <Greek mágma kneaded mass, salve, equivalent to mag- (base of mássein to knead, press; see mass) + -ma noun suffix of result
OTHER WORDS FROM magma
mag·mat·ic [mag-mat-ik], /mægˈmæt ɪk/, adjectivemag·ma·tism, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH magma
lava, magmaDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use magma in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for magma
magma
/ (ˈmæɡmə) /
noun plural -mas or -mata (-mətə)
a paste or suspension consisting of a finely divided solid dispersed in a liquid
hot molten rock, usually formed in the earth's upper mantle, some of which finds its way into the crust and onto the earth's surface, where it solidifies to form igneous rock
Derived forms of magma
magmatic (mæɡˈmætɪk), adjectivemagmatism, nounWord Origin for magma
C15, from Latin: dregs (of an ointment), from Greek: salve made by kneading, from massein to knead
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for magma
magma
[ măg′mə ]
Plural magmata (măg-mä′tə) or magmas
The molten rock material that originates under the Earth's crust and forms igneous rock when it has cooled. When magma cools and solidifies beneath the Earth's surface, it forms what are known as intrusive rocks. When it reaches the Earth's surface, it flows out as lava and forms extrusive (or volcanic) rocks.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for magma
magma
Molten rock usually located deep within the mantle of the Earth that occasionally comes to the surface through cracks in the mantle or through the eruption of volcanoes.
notes for magma
When magma cools and solidifies, it forms igneous rock, of which lava is one type.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.