Gilbert

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A unit of measurement for magnetic flux density in the centimeter-gram-second system; a proper noun commonly used as a given name or surname of English origin; a geographical place name in various English-speaking regions
2. Denoting a cgs unit that quantifies magnetomotive force; serving as a male first name or family name; referring to various locations named with this term, especially in the United States
3. Representing a magnetic measurement unit in cgs electromagnetism; identifying individuals by this English-derived personal or family designation; indicating specific towns or areas bearing this nomenclature in English-speaking countries

Etymology: The gilbert, the CGS unit of magnetomotive force, takes its name from William Gilbert, an English physician and natural philosopher whose 1600 treatise "De Magnete" was the first systematic study of magnetism and electricity. Gilbert was physician to Queen Elizabeth I and argued that the Earth itself behaves like a giant magnet, a claim that overturned much older thinking about lodestones and compasses. The unit was named in his honour in the early twentieth century, when physicists needed standard units for electromagnetic quantities and chose to commemorate his pioneering work. As a given name and surname, Gilbert descends from the Old French "Gilebert", itself from Germanic roots meaning something like "bright pledge" or "bright hostage", formed from elements meaning bright and pledge. The name was carried into England by the Normans, and it became common across the English-speaking world. Many places named Gilbert, in North America and elsewhere, took their names from people who bore it.

Synonyms: magnetism unit, magnetomotive force unit