lodestone

or load·stone

[ lohd-stohn ]

/ ˈloʊdˌstoʊn /

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noun

a variety of magnetite that possesses magnetic polarity and attracts iron.

a piece of this serving as a magnet.

something that attracts strongly.

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Origin of lodestone

1505–15; lode (in obsolete sense “way, course”) + stone

Words nearby lodestone

locutory, Lod, lode, loden, lodestar, lodestone, lodge, lodged, Lodgepole Creek, lodgepole pine, lodger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use lodestone in a sentence

Uber is our lodestone today because it dropped a new SEC filing that includes some notes on its recent performance.
Ride-hailing’s profitability promise is in its final countdown|Alex Wilhelm|April 12, 2021|TechCrunch
He is the lodestone of the offensive structure, and his immense core strength doesn’t just hold off defenders — it also props up the entire Heat’s offensive hierarchy.
Jimmy Butler Has The Heat Back In The Hunt|Louis Zatzman|March 16, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Beale Street drew them, it has been said, “like a lodestone.”
Stanley Booth on the Life and Hard Times of Blues Genius Furry Lewis|Stanley Booth|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was my lodestone, my centering point, my story as a journalist covering Germany and the East Bloc.
Scaling the Berlin Wall|Michael R. Meyer|October 31, 2009|DAILY BEAST

It had formed a Chamber of Commerce which entered bravely upon its mission as a lodestone for the attraction of Eastern capital.
Mystery Ranch|Arthur Chapman
A Greek legend tells us that the lodestone was discovered by Magnes, a shepherd who found his crook attracted by the rock.
Heroes of the Telegraph|J. Munro
One of their experiments was to float a needle on a piece of cork, and make it follow a lodestone held in the hand.
Heroes of the Telegraph|J. Munro
For three years he draws me to his parties as a lodestone draws baser metals.
The Five Arrows|Allan Chase
She used no wiles, practised no arts—her subtle mesmerism was the unseen power of the lodestone.
The Great Mogul|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for lodestone

lodestone

loadstone

/ (ˈləʊdˌstəʊn) /

noun

a rock that consists of pure or nearly pure magnetite and thus is naturally magnetic
a piece of such rock, which can be used as a magnet and which was formerly used as a primitive compass

a person or thing regarded as a focus of attraction

Word Origin for lodestone

C16: literally: guiding stone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for lodestone

lodestone

A piece of the mineral magnetite that acts like a magnet.