magma

noun

mag·​ma ˈmag-mə 

1

archaic : dregs, sediment

2

: a thin pasty suspension (as of a precipitate in water)

3

: molten rock material within the earth from which igneous rock results by cooling

magmatic

mag-ˈma-tik 

adjective

Examples of magma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By 1815, Mount Tambora’s magma chamber was under immense pressure. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

In 2022, a study found that magma was rising to the peninsula’s surface directly from the Earth’s mantle, without interacting much with the crust. —Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024

The ground nearby was inflated, indicating the presence of magma below, and now a swarm of earthquakes threatened to funnel the underground dike toward the village. —Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024

The seawater gets heated by the magma, which sends it shooting back up into the deep ocean, along with a wealth of life-sustaining minerals that support a whole ecosystem of organisms in proximity to the vents. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin magmat-, magma, from Greek, thick unguent, from massein to knead — more at mingle

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

magma

noun

mag·​ma ˈmag-mə 

: molten rock material within the earth

magmatic

mag-ˈmat-ik 

adjective

Medical Definition

magma

noun

mag·​ma ˈmag-mə 

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) in a small volume of a watery vehicle