paleomagnetism: Meaning and Definition of

pa•le•o•mag•net•ism

Pronunciation: (pā"lē-ō-mag'ni-tiz"um or, esp. Brit., pal"ē-), [key]
— n.
  1. magnetic polarization acquired by the minerals in a rock at the time the rock was deposited or solidified. Cf.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.