Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act of magnifying or the state of being magnified.
  • noun The process of enlarging the size of something, as an optical image.
  • noun Something that has been magnified; an enlarged representation, image, or model.
  • noun The ratio of the size of an image to the size of an object.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In the theory of optical images, the ratio f/x or x′ /f′ , where f is the focal length of the object-space of the optical system and x the distance of the object from the principal focal plane of that space, or where f′ and x′ are the corresponding quantities in the image-space.
  • noun In mathematics, in conformal representation, the modulus of the derivative
  • noun The act of magnifying, or the state of being magnified or enlarged, as by a lens.
  • noun In microscopy, specifically, increase of visual power in respect of penetration as well as superficial enlargement, thus contrasting with amplification.
  • noun The act of magnifying or extolling.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun rare The act of magnifying; enlargement; exaggeration.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The act of magnifying; enlargement; exaggeration.
  • noun The apparent enlargement of an object in an image.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun making to seem more important than it really is
  • noun the ratio of the size of an image to the size of the object
  • noun a photographic print that has been enlarged
  • noun the act of expanding something in apparent size

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Flexibility for more magnification is certainly better on the high end but really not often needed on deer.

    what's your opinion? 2009

  • - The low end magnification is fine for shooting in the timber and running shots.

    Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x50mm riflescope. What's the price range on it? 2009

  • Flexibility for more magnification is certainly better on the high end but really not often needed on deer.

    what's your opinion? 2009

  • The only thing changing it is now variable scopes can go 4x magnification from the low end to the high end (e.g. 4-16x) without losing accuracy.

    what's your opinion? 2009

  • - The low end magnification is fine for shooting in the timber and running shots.

    Leupold VX-3 3.5-10x50mm riflescope. What's the price range on it? 2009

  • The only thing changing it is now variable scopes can go 4x magnification from the low end to the high end (e.g. 4-16x) without losing accuracy.

    what's your opinion? 2009

  • Below the knife, as if in magnification, swung a scarred and keen machete.

    365 tomorrows » 2008 » May : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2008

  • The 2005 winners are online now, and they're stunning -- this first-prize entry of a fly's face at very high magnification is magnificently squicky.

    - Boing Boing 2005

  • Not only do you have to carry all that weight around, but the crosshairs will appear to wobble more when you're trying to steady them on a target, and the advantage you gain through increased magnification is more than offset by the twitches, lurches, and tics caused by all those Xs. If you're hunting in hot weather, high magnification will also increase mirage-the shimmering heat waves between you and the target-and make it appear that you're shooting underwater.

    Optical Delusions 2007

  • Not only do you have to carry all that weight around, but the crosshairs will appear to wobble more when you're trying to steady them on a target, and the advantage you gain through increased magnification is more than offset by the twitches, lurches, and tics caused by all those Xs. If you're hunting in hot weather, high magnification will also increase mirage-the shimmering heat waves between you and the target-and make it appear that you're shooting underwater.

    Optical Delusions 2007

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