lodestone
or load·stone
[ lohd-stohn ]
/ ˈloʊdˌstoʊn /
|
noun
a variety of magnetite that possesses magnetic polarity and attracts iron.
a piece of this serving as a magnet.
something that attracts strongly.
Nearby words
locutory, lod, lode, loden, lodestar, lodestone, lodge, lodge, henry cabot, lodge, sir oliver joseph, lodge, thomas, lodged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for lodestone
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
Word Origin and History for lodestone
lodestone
"magnetically polarized oxide of iron," 1510s, literally "way-stone," from lode + stone (n.). So called because it was used to make compass magnets to guide mariners. Figurative use from 1570s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for lodestone
lodestone
A piece of the mineral magnetite that acts like a magnet.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.