magnetize

American  

[mag-ni-tahyz] / ˈmæg nɪˌtaɪz /

especially British, magnetise

verb (used with object)

magnetized, magnetizing

1. to make a magnet of or impart the properties of a magnet to.

2. to exert an attracting or compelling influence upon.

   The evangelist's oratory magnetized his listeners.

3. Archaic.  to mesmerize.

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magnetize British  

/ ˈmæɡnɪˌtaɪz /

verb

1. to make (a substance or object) magnetic

2. to attract strongly

3. an obsolete word for mesmerize

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magnetize Scientific  

/ măg′nĭ-tīz′ /

1. To cause an object to become temporarily or permanently magnetic. For example, an unmagnetized object made of ferromagnetic material consists of molecules that are magnetic but randomly aligned, producing no net magnetic field; exposure to a magnetic field causes the molecules to align themselves with the field, producing their own net field, so that the object as a whole becomes magnetized.

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Other Word Forms

• magnetizable adjective
• magnetization noun
• magnetizer noun
• nonmagnetized adjective
• remagnetize verb (used with object)
• unmagnetized adjective

Etymology

Origin of magnetize

First recorded in 1775–85; magnet + -ize

Example Sentences

It smells hellish too, like rotting meat on a sweltering day, which magnetizes tons of insects that scatter its spores.

From Salon

Whether any of their creations transcend gee-whizzery and prove powerful enough to magnetize deeper meanings to it will become clearer with time.

From Washington Post

But the benefits were obvious: She no longer suffered scars or burns, because induction heat is transferred to the magnetized pan only, not to the stovetop or to pot handles.

From Washington Post

Astronomers recently announced the discovery of a magnetized neutron star which seems to have an entirely solid surface.

From Salon

Two were strongly magnetized in different directions, whereas one lacked a significant magnetic signature.

From Science Magazine