Definition

Noun: A type of underwater explosive device, typically used in naval warfare, that is designed to detonate when it detects the presence of a magnetic field, such as the one generated by the steel hull of a ship.

Usage

The term "magnetic mine" is used to describe a specific class of naval mine. It functions as a subject or object in a sentence. * The navy deployed magnetic mines to protect the harbor entrance. * The ship's crew was trained in procedures to avoid triggering a magnetic mine. * Sweeping for magnetic mines is a dangerous but essential operation.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: Magnetic mines were used extensively during World War II, representing a significant technological advancement in naval warfare that forced the development of countermeasures like degaussing (reducing a ship's magnetic signature).

Variants and Related Words

• Marine mine (noun): The general category of explosive naval weapons to which magnetic mines belong.
• Influence mine (noun): A broader term for mines detonated by the influence (magnetic, acoustic, pressure) of a target, as opposed to contact mines.
• Degaussing (verb/noun): The process of reducing or eliminating the magnetic field of a ship to protect it from magnetic mines.

Synonyms

• Naval mine (general synonym, though not specific to the detonation mechanism)
• Sea mine (general synonym)

Related Phrases

• To lay/sow magnetic mines: The act of deploying these weapons.
• To sweep for magnetic mines: The act of searching for and neutralizing these weapons.
• Mine countermeasures (MCM): Operations and vessels dedicated to dealing with naval mines, including magnetic types.

Noun

1. (nautical) a marine mine that is detonated by a mechanism that responds to magnetic material (as the steel hull of a ship)