magnet

noun

mag·net | \ ˈmag-nət

Definition of magnet

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : lodestone

b : a body having the property of attracting iron and producing a magnetic field external to itself specifically : a mass of iron, steel, or alloy that has this property artificially imparted

2 : something that attracts a box-office magnet

magnet-

combining form

variants: or magneto-

Definition of magnet- (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : magnetic force magnetometer

2 : magnetism : magnetic magnetoelectric magneton

3 : magnetoelectric magnetoresistance

4 : magnetosphere magnetopause

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Examples of magnet in a Sentence

Noun

the giant theme park is a magnet for tourists to the area

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Instead of using lash glue — which, in addition to being wildly messy, can also cause allergies — these babies stick on your lashes with magnets. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "How to Apply Magnetic Lashes," 8 Jan. 2019 Another in a suburb of Sacramento, Calif., made curtains with magnets that could quickly cover the windows of classroom doors to hide students taking refuge. — Leslie Brody, WSJ, "In Age of Mass Shootings, Boy Scout Projects Hope to Keep Schools Safe," 6 Jan. 2019 Proton therapy instead uses beams of protons, charged subatomic particles that can be controlled with magnets. — Bonnie Berkowitz, chicagotribune.com, "Hospitals use protons to fight cancer," 14 Mar. 2018 Goodell has always been a magnet for attention during his 13 seasons as commissioner, never more so than in the troubled 2017 season, when the NFL’s place at the center of U.S. culture was thrust into tumult. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "Roger Goodell Vanished. Football Reappeared. And NFL Ratings Rose.," 1 Feb. 2019 Launched in 2006, BuzzFeed was among the leaders of a group of digital upstarts that were adroit with social media and rode a wave of venture capital investment to become magnets for digital audiences. — Benjamin Mullin, WSJ, "BuzzFeed to Cut 15% of Its Workforce," 23 Jan. 2019 The outside groups have also become magnets for Trump backers who were not brought into the administration, like Katrina Pierson and Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump. — Zeke Miller, The Seattle Times, "Ex-Trump aides often find a soft landing for staying quiet," 14 Aug. 2018 Like many cities across the country, the District has undergone a renaissance over the past generation as developers built or renovated housing in gentrifying areas that became magnets for young professionals. — Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, "District government asks court to throw out $1 billion gentrification lawsuit," 2 July 2018 Another way to solve the heat problem is to increase a device’s magnetic field strength overall by using superconducting magnets, an approach being followed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, "Knighthood in hand, astrophysicist prepares to lead U.S. fusion lab," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'magnet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for magnet

Noun

Middle English magnete, from Anglo-French, from Latin magnet-, magnes, from Greek magnēs (lithos), literally, stone of Magnesia, ancient city in Asia Minor

Combining form

Latin magnet-, magnes

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Dictionary Entries near magnet

magnesium oxychloride cement

magnesium perchlorate

Statistics for magnet

Last Updated

14 May 2019

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Time Traveler for magnet

The first known use of magnet was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for magnet

magnet

noun

English Language Learners Definition of magnet

: a piece of material (such as iron or steel) that is able to attract certain metals

: something or someone that attracts people or things

See the full definition for magnet in the English Language Learners Dictionary

magnet

noun

mag·net | \ ˈmag-nət

Kids Definition of magnet

: a piece of material (as of iron, steel, or alloy) that is able to attract iron

magnet

noun

mag·net | \ ˈmag-nət

Medical Definition of magnet

: a body having the property of attracting iron and producing a magnetic field external to itself specifically : a mass of iron, steel, or alloy that has this property artificially imparted