MAXWELL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Maxwell mean? 

• MAXWELL (noun)
  The noun MAXWELL has 2 senses:

1. a cgs unit of magnetic flux equal to the flux perpendicular to an area of 1 square centimeter in a magnetic field of 1 gauss

2. Scottish physicist whose equations unified electricity and magnetism and who recognized the electromagnetic nature of light (1831-1879)

  Familiarity information: MAXWELL used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MAXWELL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A cgs unit of magnetic flux equal to the flux perpendicular to an area of 1 square centimeter in a magnetic field of 1 gauss

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

maxwell; Mx

Hypernyms ("maxwell" is a kind of...):

flux unit; magnetic flux unit (a measure of the strength of a magnetic field per unit area)

Holonyms ("maxwell" is a part of...):

Wb; weber (a unit of magnetic flux equal to 100,000,000 maxwells)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Scottish physicist whose equations unified electricity and magnetism and who recognized the electromagnetic nature of light (1831-1879)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

J. C. Maxwell; James Clerk Maxwell; Maxwell

Instance hypernyms:

physicist (a scientist trained in physics)

 Context examples 

It was the gift of her good godmother, old Mrs. Admiral Maxwell, only six weeks before she was taken for death.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

One gauss represents a magnetic flux of one maxwell per square centimetre of cross-section perpendicular to the field.

(Gauss, NCI Thesaurus)