Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

MAGNESIAN

 - 5 dictionary results

mag⋅ne⋅sia

  [mag-nee-zhuh, -shuh]
Use MAGNESIAN in a Sentence
–noun
a white, tasteless substance, magnesium oxide, MgO, used in medicine as an antacid and laxative.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME: philosophers' stone < ML magnēsia < Gk (hē) Magnēsía (líthos) (the stone) of Magnesia; sense development obscure

Related forms:
mag⋅ne⋅sian, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To MAGNESIAN
mag·ne·sia   (māg-nē'zhə, -shə)   
n.  Magnesium oxide.

[Middle English, mineral ingredient of the philosophers' stone, from Medieval Latin magnēsia, from Greek magnēsiā, a kind of ore, from Magnēsiā, Magnesia, an ancient city of Asia Minor.]
mag·ne'sian adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

magnesia 
c.1386, in alchemy, "main ingredient of the philosopher's stone," from M.L. magnesia, from Gk. (he) Magnesia (lithos) "the lodestone," lit. "(the) Magnesian (stone)," from Magnesia, region in Thessaly. Perhaps manganese is meant. Connection with magnet is obscure. Main modern sense of "magnesium oxide" (1755) is perhaps an independent formation from L. magnes carneus "flesh-magnet" (c.1550), so called because it adheres strongly to the lips.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: mag·ne·sia
Pronunciation: mag-'nE-sh&, -'nE-zh&
Function: noun
: MAGNESIUM OXIDE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

magnesia mag·ne·sia (māg-nē'zhə, -shə)
n.
Magnesium oxide.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see MAGNESIAN on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way