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magmatism

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mag⋅ma

  [mag-muh]
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–noun, plural -mas, -ma⋅ta  [-muh-tuh] .
1. Geology. molten material beneath or within the earth's crust, from which igneous rock is formed.
2. any crude mixture of finely divided mineral or organic matter.
3. Chemistry, Pharmacology. a paste composed of solid and liquid matter.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L: dregs, leavings < Gk mágma kneaded mass, salve, equiv. to mag- (base of mássein to knead, press; see mass ) + -ma n. suffix of result

Related forms:
mag⋅mat⋅ic  [mag-mat-ik] , adjective
mag⋅ma⋅tism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Cultural Dictionary

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.

Note: When magma cools and solidifies, it forms igneous rock, of which lava is one type.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

magma 
c.1420, "dregs," from L. magma "dregs of an ointment," from Gk. magma "an ointment," from root of massein "to knead, mold," from PIE *mag- "kneading" (see macerate). Geological meaning "molten rock" is 1865.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: mag·ma
Pronunciation: 'mag-m&
Function: noun
1 : a crude mixture of mineral or organic matter in the state of a thin paste
2 : a suspension of a large amount of precipitated material (as in milk of magnesia or milk of bismuth) in a small volume of a watery vehicle
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

magma mag·ma (māg'mə)
n.

  1. A mixture of finely divided solids with enough liquid to produce a pasty mass.

  2. A suspension of particles in a liquid, such as milk of magnesia.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
magma   (māg'mə)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural magmata (māg-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 © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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