Magnet

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ˈmægnÉ™t/
• Homophones: magnate one pronunciation

Origin

From Ancient Greek μαγνήτης λίθος (magnētēs líthos, "Magnesian stone"), after Lydian city Magnesia ad Sipylum (modern-day Manisa, Turkey), named after the Greek region of Μαγνησία, whence came the colonist who founded it. In ancient times the city was a primary source of mysterious stones that could attract or repel each other, which were eventually named after it.

Noun

1. A piece of material that attracts some metals by magnetism.
2. (informal, figuratively, preceded by a noun) A person or thing that attracts what is denoted by the preceding noun.He always had a girl on his arm - he's a bit of a babe-magnet.
• 2007, J. Michael Fay, Ivory Wars: Last Stand in Zakouma, National Geographic (March 2007), 47,...I wanted to show Nick the largest of the water holes, Rigueik, that act as magnets to life in the dry season.

Derived terms

Related terms

• magnetic
• magnetism
• magnetite
• Magnesia