magnetic meridian

American  

noun

1. a line on the earth's surface, passing in the direction of the horizontal component of the earth's magnetic field.

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magnetic meridian British  

noun

1. a continuous imaginary line around the surface of the earth passing through both magnetic poles

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magnetic meridian Scientific  

1. An imaginary reference line passing through both geomagnetic poles of the Earth, used in models and maps of the Earth's magnetic field.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

magnetic meridian

Now, this is precisely the direction of the deviation of the magnetic meridian, the needle therefore only follows the meridian, or still continues to point to the temporary magnetic pole.

From Outlines of a Mechanical Theory of Storms Containing the True Law of Lunar Influence by Bassnett, Thomas

The compass had now become perfectly useless, and they judged that they had passed the magnetic meridian at about 100 degrees west latitude, where it would have pointed due south instead of north.

From Notable Voyagers From Columbus to Nordenskiold by Kingston, William Henry Giles

The vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of such a needle is known as the magnetic meridian.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various

A black vertical line or mark in the compass-bowl in the direction of the ship's head, by which the angle between the magnetic meridian and the ship's line of course is shown.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

Where the horizontal force is the weakest, the middle of the luminous arch deviates the most from the magnetic meridian.

From COSMOS: A Sketch of the Physical Description of the Universe, Vol. 1 by Humboldt, Alexander von