magnum
magnum — noun
- magnumsingular
- magnumsplural
1. a large bottle, especially for wine or champagne, that holds about one and a hal
a large bottle, especially for wine or champagne, that holds about one and a half litres, which is twice the amount in a standard bottle
Joshua carried a magnum of champagne into the hotel ballroom.
a magnum of champagne at a celebration
Noor chilled a magnum of rose before the garden wedding dinner.
chill a magnum before serving wine
The restaurant keeps one magnum of red wine for large family parties.
Nikos opened a magnum at midnight when the team won promotion.
A magnum usually costs less than buying two separate bottles.
magnum compared with two standard bottles
- a magnum of champagne
- a magnum of wine
- open a magnum
- chill a magnum
- buy a magnum
- bottle
broader word; a magnum is specifically a bottle holding about 1.5 litres
Grammar Patterns
a magnum of champagne
open / chill / buy a magnum
Usage Note
Usually appears in the pattern 'a magnum of ...', especially with champagne or wine served at celebrations. The word names the bottle size, not a special kind of drink.
Common Mistakes
2. a firearm sold under the name Magnum, or a similar model, made to shoot unusuall
a firearm sold under the name Magnum, or a similar model, made to shoot unusually powerful rounds for its size
In the action film, the detective pulled out a Magnum during the final chase.
capitalized Magnum as a gun name
The museum displayed a Magnum beside older police revolvers from the 1970s.
At the gun shop, Owen asked whether the Magnum needed special ammunition.
Magnum with powerful ammunition
The hunter chose a Magnum because he wanted more power from a short barrel.
Many viewers knew the silver Magnum from crime dramas, not real life.
- a Magnum revolver
- carry a Magnum
- fire a Magnum
- Magnum ammunition
Grammar Patterns
a Magnum revolver
carry / fire a Magnum
Usage Note
Usually written with a capital M because it started as a brand name. In everyday use, people often say it when referring to a large, powerful handgun seen in films or crime stories.
Etymology
Magnum comes from Latin 'magnum', the neuter form of 'magnus', meaning 'great' or 'large'. English first used it as a learned borrowing in expressions such as 'opus magnum'. Later, the word was adopted in commercial names to suggest extra size or power, which led to its use for the large wine bottle and the powerful gun sense.