magnet
a body, as a piece of iron or steel, that possesses the property of attracting certain substances, as iron.
a lodestone.
a thing or person that attracts: The park was a magnet for pickpockets and muggers.
Origin of magnet
1Other words from magnet
- coun·ter·mag·net, noun
Words that may be confused with magnet
- magnate, magnet
Other definitions for magnet- (2 of 2)
variant of magneto- before some vowels: magneton.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use magnet in a sentence
What is it about restaurants that makes them magnets for this sort of behavior?
Waitressing Is One of the Worst Jobs for Sexual Harassment | Brandy Zadrozny | October 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBiopics have, over the years, become magnets for media scrutiny—often attacked for factual inaccuracies.
The Worst Oscar Smear Campaigns: From ‘Good Will Hunting’ to ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ | Marlow Stern | February 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThese small, strong, weighted electro-magnets are attached to each of the dual trackpads.
Will Valve’s New Steam Controller Revolutionize Video Game Play? | Alec Kubas-Meyer | September 27, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIn the meantime, other cities, often once obscure, suddenly become the new magnets of opportunity.
Hot U.S. Cities That Offer Both Jobs and Culture Are Mostly Southern and Modest Sized | Joel Kotkin, Wendell Cox | July 30, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTOn a self-promotional level, they know such stories are water-cooler material and magnets for traffic.
The Media Fantasize About Ben Affleck Vying for John Kerry’s Seat | Lauren Ashburn | December 22, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
He knew that the great magnets in their lower hull had gripped the plates on the top of the other ship.
Astounding Stories, May, 1931 | VariousWhen the stop pin has passed the spring, the connection through the magnets T is broken and the clockwork F stops instantly.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousThe writer was unable to procure ready-made magnets, so one was formed and magnetized.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | VariousThe action of the telautograph depends upon the variations in magnetic strength between two small electro-magnets.
Steam Steel and Electricity | James W. SteeleThe armatures are powerfully attracted by the magnets, and must be forcibly pulled away.
Steam Steel and Electricity | James W. Steele
British Dictionary definitions for magnet
/ (ˈmæɡnɪt) /
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
a person or thing that exerts a great attraction
Origin of magnet
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for magnet
[ măg′nĭt ]
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. See also electromagnet ferromagnetism magnetic pole. See Note at magnetism.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for magnet
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.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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