magnetic pole

noun

1

: either of two small regions which are located respectively in the polar areas of the northern and southern hemispheres and toward which a compass needle points from any direction throughout adjacent regions

also : either of two comparable regions on a celestial body

2

: either of the poles of a magnet

Examples of magnetic pole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Per the authors, during the 10th century BCE, Earth's north magnetic pole was about 15 degrees closer to central China than today, so the people there may well have witnessed such displays. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 1 Jan. 2023

Other studies have argued that magnetic field reversals mean that Earth’s magnetic field back then must have been like today’s, with a north and a south magnetic pole, each roughly centered on Earth’s spin axis, and not an exotic multi-poled field that some scientists have argued for. —Howard Lee, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2023

Astronomers discover strange new type of star hidden in the center of our galaxy The strength of the metal detection also synced with changes observed in the star’s magnetic field, which led the team to determine that the metal scar was located on one of the star’s magnetic poles. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024

The northern lights are best seen in high-latitude regions near the magnetic pole. —The Arizona Republic, 31 Jan. 2024

When the sun is at its quietest, with nary a sunspot, its magnetic field is strong and orderly, with a tidy magnetic pole at the star’s top and bottom. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 18 Jan. 2024

New cycles happen about every 11 years when the Sun flips its magnetic poles. —Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 9 May 2023

Also, this eclipse will happen around the peak of the 11-year solar cycle—when the sun’s north and south magnetic poles flip—so more solar activity will be visible. —Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024

The current bevy of sunspots and the disappearance of magnetic poles suggest that solar maximum is either already upon us or fast approaching, says Madhulika Guhathakurta, a solar scientist at NASA. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 18 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1701, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

magnetic pole

noun

1

: either of two small regions of the earth which are located near the North and South Poles and toward which a compass needle points

2

: either of the poles of a magnet