Magnus effect
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of Magnus effect
1920–25; after Heinrich G. Magnus (1802–70), German scientist
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It's called the Magnus effect and is the same principle which causes a spinning football to bend through the air - especially when kicked by David Beckham.
From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025
Wrist pronation, callosified skin, Amped rotation to optimize spin; With the Magnus effect zooming in, it tricks your view.
From Washington Post • Aug. 3, 2017
This force is known as the Magnus effect, and it explains why Kershaw made the Highland Park varsity as a freshman.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2014
As a spinning ball whips air off to one side, the so-called Magnus effect pushes the ball in the opposite direction.
From Scientific American • Dec. 15, 2013
With topspin, the ball travels deep into the court and then nose-dives — a phenomenon known in physics as the Magnus effect.
From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
