magnetoreceptionn.
/maɡˌniːtəʊrᵻˈsɛpʃn/, U.S. /mæɡˈˌnɛdoʊrəˈˌsɛpʃən/, /mæɡˈˌnidoʊrəˈˌsɛpʃən/, /mæɡˈˌnɛdoʊriˈˌsɛpʃən/, /mæɡˈˌnidoʊriˈˌsɛpʃən/ Biology.
The capacity to sense magnetic fields, esp. that of the earth, which is believed to be present in various animals that are capable of navigation.
ΚΠ
1972 M. Lindauer & H. Martin in S. R. Galler et al. Animal Orientation & Navigation 559/1 The question will be posed as to whether magnetoreception is used for orientation by the bees.
1981 Nature 4 June 434/2 Had the outcome of our experiment been reversed, that is, had transportation in total darkness not affected the birds' orientation, it would have clearly shown that Leask's model is incorrect, at least for magnetoreception in birds.
1988 New Scientist 14 Jan. 71/1 Some of these experiments support the claim that humans use a non-visual sense to orientate and that this involves magnetoreception; others do not.
1998 Proc. Royal Soc. B. 265 733 Experimental evidence exists for magnetoreception in termites... This preliminary study identifies, probably for the first time, the presence of biogenic ferrimagnets (magnetite?) in two species of termite.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1972