Standard Lemma guide

degauss

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /diːˈɡaʊs/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aʊs

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act by which something is degaussed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To reduce or eliminate the magnetic field from (the hull of a ship, or a computer monitor, etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demagnetise

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

make nonmagnetic; take away the magnetic properties (of)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • demagnetize the iron shavings
  • they degaussed the ship

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: demagnetize, demagnetise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: demagnetointi — act by which something is degaussed
  • Polish: rozmagnesowanie — act by which something is degaussed
  • Polish: demagnetyzacja — act by which something is degaussed
  • Russian: размагни́чивание (razmagníčivanije) — act by which something is degaussed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 消磁 (xiāocí) — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Finnish: demagnetoida — to reduce a magnetic field
  • French: dégausser — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Icelandic: afsegulmagna — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Icelandic: upphefja segulkraft — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Lithuanian: išmagnetinti — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Polish: rozmagnesowywać — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Polish: rozmagnesować — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Polish: demagnetyzować — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Polish: zdemagnetyzować — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Russian: размагни́чивать (razmagníčivatʹ) — to reduce a magnetic field
  • Russian: размагни́тить (razmagnítitʹ) — to reduce a magnetic field