Dictionary.com

magneto

[ mag-nee-toh ]
/ mægˈni toʊ /
Save This Word!

noun, plural mag·ne·tos.Electricity.
a small electric generator with an armature that rotates in a magnetic field provided by permanent magnets, as a generator supplying ignition current for certain types of internal combustion engines or a hand-operated generator for telephone signaling.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Also called magnetoelectric generator, magnetogenerator.

Origin of magneto

First recorded in 1880–85; short for magnetoelectric generator

Other definitions for magneto (2 of 2)

magneto-

a combining form representing magnetic or magnetism in compound words: magnetochemistry.
Also especially before a vowel, magnet-.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use magneto in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for magneto (1 of 2)

magneto
/ (mæɡˈniːtəʊ) /

noun plural -tos
a small electric generator in which the magnetic field is produced by a permanent magnet, esp one for providing the spark in an internal-combustion engine

Word Origin for magneto

C19: short for magnetoelectric generator

British Dictionary definitions for magneto (2 of 2)

magneto-

combining form
indicating magnetism or magnetic propertiesmagnetosphere
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
FEEDBACK