Magnum

How to spell magnum

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce magnum

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does magnum mean?

1. nounA wine or champagne bottle holding 1.5 litres, twice the volume of a standard bottle.
2. nounA cartridge or firearm carrying a larger powder charge and greater power than the standard version.

Magnum in a sentence

• They opened a magnum of champagne to mark the anniversary.

• The revolver chambered a powerful magnum round for hunting.

• The caterer ordered one magnum per table for the wedding toast.

• Recoil from the magnum was much stronger than from the standard load.

Where does magnum come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word is simply the neuter form of the Latin adjective magnus, which meant 'great' or 'large'. The same root sits behind a whole family of familiar English words, including 'magnify', 'magnitude', 'magnificent' and 'magnate', all of which carry the idea of greatness or size. English began using magnum as a noun in the early 1700s to name an oversized wine bottle holding the equivalent of two ordinary bottles, the 'large' container living up to its name. In the twentieth century the word was borrowed for firearms as well, labelling cartridges with an extra-large powder charge and greater power. Because the spelling keeps the bare Latin stem, the silent feel of the unstressed -num ending and the gn cluster are the only mild traps, and both echo the related word 'magnify' to help fix them.

How the word is built

• magn- (from Latin magnus: great, large)
• -um (Latin neuter noun ending)