5. Greatness, in reference to influence or effect; importance; as, an
affair of magnitude.
The magnitude of his designs.
Bp. Horsley.
Apparent magnitude (Opt.), the angular breadth of an object viewed as
measured by the angle which it subtends at the eye of the observer; --
called also apparent diameter. -- Magnitude of a star (Astron.), the
rank of a star with respect to brightness. About twenty very bright
stars are said to be of first magnitude, the stars of the sixth
magnitude being just visible to the naked eye. Telescopic stars are
classified down to the twelfth magnitude or lower. The scale of the
magnitudes is quite arbitrary, but by means of photometers, the
classification has been made to tenths of a magnitude.
Mag*no"li*a (?), n. [NL. Named after Pierre Magnol, professor of botany
at Montpellier, France, in the 17th century.] (Bot.) A genus of
American and Asiatic trees, with aromatic bark and large sweet-scented
whitish or reddish flowers.
Magnolia grandiflora has coriaceous shining leaves and very fragrant
blossoms. It is common from North Carolina to Florida and Texas, and is
one of the most magnificent trees of the American forest. The sweet bay
(M. glauca)is a small tree found sparingly as far north as Cape Ann.
Other American species are M. Umbrella, M. macrophylla, M. Fraseri, M.
acuminata, and M. cordata. M. conspicua and M. purpurea are cultivated
shrubs or trees from Eastern Asia. M. Campbellii, of India, has
rose-colored or crimson flowers.
Magnolia warbler (Zoöl.), a beautiful North American wood warbler
(Dendroica maculosa). The rump and under parts are bright yellow; the
breast and belly are spotted with black; the under tail coverts are
white; the crown is ash.
Mag*no`li*a"ceous (?), a. (Bot.) Pertaining to a natural order
(Magnoliaceæ) of trees of which the magnolia, the tulip tree, and the
star anise are examples.
||Mag"num (?), n. [Neut. sing. of L. magnus great.] 1. A large wine
||bottle.
They passed the magnum to one another freely.
Sir W. Scott.
2. (Anat.) A bone of the carpus at the base of the third metacarpal
bone.
Mag"ot (?), n. [F.] (Zoöl.) The Barbary ape.
Mag"ot-pie` (?), n. A magpie. [Obs.] Shak.
Mag"pie (?), n. [OE. & Prov. E. magot pie, maggoty pie, fr. Mag,
Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and fr. F. Marquerite, and common name of
the magpie. Marguerite is fr. L. margarita pearl, Gr. &?;, prob. of
Eastern origin. See Pie magpie, and cf. the analogous names Tomtit, and
Jackdaw.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of the genus Pica and
related genera, allied to the jays, but having a long graduated tail.
The common European magpie (Pica pica, or P. caudata) is a black and
white noisy and mischievous bird. It can be taught to speak. The
American magpie (P. Hudsonica) is very similar. The yellow-belled
magpie (P. Nuttalli) inhabits California. The blue magpie (Cyanopolius
Cooki) inhabits Spain. Other allied species are found in Asia. The
Tasmanian and Australian magpies are crow shrikes, as the white magpie
(Gymnorhina organicum), the black magpie (Strepera fuliginosa), and the
Australian magpie (Cracticus picatus).
Magpie lark (Zoöl.), a common Australian bird (Grallina picata),
conspicuously marked with black and white; -- called also little
magpie. -- Magpie moth (Zoöl.), a black and white European geometrid
moth (Abraxas grossulariata); the harlequin moth. Its larva feeds on
currant and gooseberry bushes.
||Ma`gua*ri" (?), n. [From native name: cf. Pg. magoari.] (Zoöl.) A
||South American stork (Euxenara maguari), having a forked tail.
Mag"uey (?), n. [Sp. maguey, Mexican maguei and metl.] (Bot.) The
century plant, a species of Agave (A. Americana). See Agave.
Mag"yar (mg"yär; Hung. md"yr), n. [Hung.] 1. (Ethnol.) One of the
dominant people of Hungary, allied to the Finns; a Hungarian.