magnet

¹

[ mag-nit ]

noun

1. a body, as a piece of iron or steel, that possesses the property of attracting certain substances, as iron.
2. a lodestone.
3. a thing or person that attracts:

   The park was a magnet for pickpockets and muggers.

magnet-

²

1. variant of magneto- before some vowels:

   magneton.

magnet

/ ˈmæɡnɪt /

noun

1. See electromagnet
   a body that can attract certain substances, such as iron or steel, as a result of a magnetic field; a piece of ferromagnetic substance See also electromagnet
2. a person or thing that exerts a great attraction

magnet

/ măg′nĭt /

1. A material or object that produces a magnetic field. Lodestones are natural magnets, though many materials, especially metals, can be made into magnets by exposing them to a magnetic field.
2. See also electromagnetSee Note at magnetism

magnet

1. An object that attracts iron and some other materials. Magnets are said to generate a magnetic field around themselves. Every magnet has two poles, called the north and south poles. Magnetic poles exert forces on each other in such a way that like poles repel and unlike poles attract each other. A compass is a small magnet that is affected by the magnetic field of the Earth in such a way that it points to a magnetic pole of the Earth. ( See magnetic field and magnetism .)

Other Words From

• counter·magnet noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of magnet¹

1400–50; late Middle English magnete < Latin magnēta < Greek mágnēta, accusative of mágnēs, short for ( hē ) Mágnēs ( líthos ) (the stone) of Magnesia

Word History and Origins

Origin of magnet¹

C15: via Latin from Greek magnēs, shortened from ho Magnēs lithos the Magnesian stone. See magnesia

Example Sentences

In other words, fluoride is a broad-spectrum, bipartisan, long-lasting magnet for dissent.

From The Daily Beast

Couple guided Stella as she crawled and dipped her chest to pick up each magnet.

From The Daily Beast

Private schools have a way of being a magnet for scandals for the creepy, inappropriate adults who run them.

From The Daily Beast

“New York kind of pulled me here like a magnet,” said Swift.

From The Daily Beast

Anything in your gut sticks to the surface of charcoal like a magnet and gets carried out through a bowel movement.

From The Daily Beast

Moreover, he was suddenly obsessed with the belief that if he had greatness in him England alone held its magnet.

From Project Gutenberg

Four catch pins were fastened on the rim of the disk to engage a catch pin on the armature of the magnet.

From Project Gutenberg

The gong and commutator were removed and the magnet placed in the position shown in the sketch.

From Project Gutenberg

The doctrine now universally received, that the earth is a natural magnet, was originally an hypothesis of the celebrated Gilbert.

From Project Gutenberg

When the current is applied, the disk will revolve in a direction relative to the position of the poles on the magnet.

From Project Gutenberg