magnetometer

American  

[mag-ni-tom-i-ter] / ˌmæg nɪˈtɒm ɪ tər /

noun

1. an instrument for measuring the intensity of a magnetic field, especially the earth's magnetic field.

2. an instrument for detecting the presence of ferrous or magnetic materials, especially one used to detect concealed weapons at airports.

---

magnetometer British  

/ ˌmæɡnɪˈtɒmɪtə, ˌmæɡnɪtəʊˈmɛtrɪk /

noun

1. any instrument for measuring the intensity or direction of a magnetic field, esp the earth's field

---

magnetometer Scientific  

/ măg′nĭ-tŏm′ĭ-tər /

1. An instrument for measuring the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field. Magnetometers are often used in archaeological and geological investigations to determine the intensity and direction of the Earth's magnetic field at various times in the past by examining the strength and direction of magnetization of ferromagnetic materials in different geological strata.

2. See also magnetic reversal

---

Other Word Forms

• magnetometric adjective
• magnetometry noun

Etymology

Origin of magnetometer

First recorded in 1820–30; magneto- + -meter

Example Sentences

Attendees pointed out that there was a magnetometer placed outside the ballroom, but there was no such screening before that or at the entrance to the hotel itself.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

The Q-CTRL device on the plane in Griffith, a city of about 27,000, is called an optically pumped magnetometer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

Deep Sea Vision had first put to sea in September 2023 from Papua New Guinea, launching a $9-million Hugin 6000 submersible equipped with a Doppler, a magnetometer, an echo sounder and a side-scan sonar.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2024

In 2020 Voyager 1’s magnetometer registered an abrupt jump in the intensity of the magnetic fields embedded in the tenuous interstellar plasma while its plasma detector measured a rise in plasma density.

From Science Magazine • May 23, 2024

With the help of a magnetometer and side-scan sonar, the crew identified a large metal object about four miles off the coast of Sullivan’s Island, located in Charleston Harbor.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler