degauss

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degauss

/diːˈɡaʊs/ UK

Rhymes with -aʊs

Where it comes from

From de- + gauss (“unit of magnetic field strength”). A neologism coined by then-Commander Charles F. Goodeve, RCNVR, during World War II.

verb degausses · degaussing · degaussed

transitive To reduce or eliminate the magnetic field from (the hull of a ship, or a computer monitor, etc.). Despite sustaining some damage from air attacks, it was used as a mooring point for large landing crafts with a deep draught in the lead-up to the D-Day landings, and later for the purpose of degaussing vessels.
Similar: demagnetise, deperm

noun degausses

The act by which something is degaussed.
Similar: deperm

Translations

Every language

verb to reduce a magnetic field

中文	消磁 xiāocí
Français	dégausser
Русский	размагни́чивать razmagníčivatʹ, размагни́тить razmagnítitʹ

noun act by which something is degaussed

Русский	размагни́чивание razmagníčivanije

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MLA

"degauss." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/degauss. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

degauss. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/degauss

Chicago

"degauss." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/degauss.

BibTeX

@misc{degauss_2026,
  title = {degauss},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/degauss},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}