Magnus effect

noun

The phenomenon whereby the path of a spinning object moving through a fluid is deflected in a manner that is not observed when the object is not spinning, explained by the difference in pressure of the fluid on opposite sides of the object.

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Meanings

nounMagnus effect (plural Magnus effects)

plural Magnus effects

  1. The phenomenon whereby the path of a spinning object moving through a fluid is deflected in a manner that is not observed when the object is not spinning, explained by the difference in pressure of the fluid on opposite sides of the object.

Origin

Named after German physicist Heinrich Gustav Magnus (1802–1870).

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Cite this entry
APA

Magnus effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Magnus%20effect

MLA

“Magnus effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Magnus%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Magnus effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Magnus%20effect.

Source: Magnus effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.