magnesium

noun mag·ne·sium \ mag-ˈnē-zē-əm , -zhəm \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Definition of magnesium

: a silver-white malleable ductile light metallic element that occurs abundantly in nature and is used in metallurgical and chemical processes, in photography, signaling, and pyrotechnics because of the intense white light it produces on burning, and in construction especially in the form of light alloys — see Chemical Elements Table

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Recent Examples of magnesium from the Web

And people who eat them have more nutritious diets that include more fruits and veggies overall, plus more fiber, vitamins E and K, magnesium, potassium, and healthy monounsaturated fat (MUFAs), according to one study.

— samantha cassetty, NBC News, "11 delicious avocado recipes that don't involve avocado toast," 1 June 2018
Cocktails include vitamin C, B12, magnesium, calcium, B5, glutamine, zinc, arginine, glutathione, or lysine.

— amy bartner, Indianapolis Star, "Hungover? This place on Mass Ave. will inject you with a remedy," 31 May 2018
What bicarbonates do—selenium, magnesium, sodium, things of that nature—is help the water get into the muscle and hydrate it.

— clay skipper, GQ, "The Trainer to LeBron James and Victor Oladipo Shares the Recovery Secrets of NBA Stars," 31 May 2018
Meridian’s Eaton Rapids factory supplies lightweight cast metal parts for global automakers, which are using more lightweight materials such as magnesium and aluminum in recent years to reduce improve fuel efficiency.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Ford’s lucrative F-150 trucks could be slow to roll off the assembly line following a factory fire," 9 May 2018
Their combination of minerals and vitamins (folate, Vitamin A, potassium, and magnesium) stimulates cell production and repair, protecting skin from premature aging and wrinkles.

— jenna rennert, Vogue, "Get Better Skin by Next Week With These 9 Beauty Foods," 5 May 2018
And that's not all—sunflower seeds also contain the anti-belly bloat mineral magnesium and mood-regulator and -lifter vitamin B6.

— amy capetta, Woman's Day, "10 Foods That Fight Off ALL Your PMS Symptoms," 19 June 2015
In response, the researchers substituted hydrogen with magnesium in their measurements, allowing them to accurately estimate the companion star’s rotation speed, and by extension, the neutron star’s mass.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "The Largest Neutron Star Ever, Found With a Clever New Technique," 30 May 2018
The second and third explosions were the result of water and molten magnesium.

— phoebe wall howard, Detroit Free Press, "Auto parts plant blast: Fire suppression, magnesium acted like a bomb," 21 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'magnesium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of magnesium

New Latin, from magnesia

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1812

in the meaning defined above

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MAGNESIUM Defined for English Language Learners

magnesium

noun

Definition of magnesium for English Language Learners

: a silver-white metallic element that produces a very bright white light when it burns

MAGNESIUM Defined for Kids

magnesium

noun mag·ne·sium \ mag-ˈnē-zē-əm , -ˈnē-zhəm \

Definition of magnesium for Students

: a silvery white metallic chemical element that is lighter than aluminum and is used in lightweight alloys

Medical Dictionary

magnesium

noun mag·ne·sium \ mag-ˈnē-zē-əm , -zhəm \

medical Definition of magnesium

: a silver-white light malleable ductile metallic element that occurs abundantly in nature (as in bones and seeds and in the form of chlorophyll in the green parts of plants) and is used in metallurgical and chemical processes, in photography, in signaling, and in the manufacture of pyrotechnics because of the intense white light it produces on burning, and in construction especially in the form of light alloys —symbol Mg — see Chemical Elements Table