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

Its texture suggests that the magma cooled relatively slowly beneath the surface rather than erupting as lava. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026

This meteorite is believed to have formed from magma derived from the mantle — a planet’s inner layer of hot rock — which later became part of the outer crust. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026

The same gas is commonly found escaping from magmatic vents on Earth, with the compound coming from hot magma beneath the surface. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Neither crystallization nor gas escaping from magma can produce a difference that big. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 2026

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