English▸ noun a piece of iron (or an ore, alloy, or other material) that has its component atoms so ordered that the material exhibits properties of magnetism, such as attracting other iron-containing objects or aligning itself in an external magnetic field.
▪ a person or thing that has a powerful attraction:
the beautiful stretch of white sand is a magnet for sun worshipers.
▪ archaic term for lodestone.
– ORIGIN late Middle English (denoting lodestone): from Latin magnes, magnet-, from Greek magnēs lithos ‘lodestone’, probably influenced by Anglo-Norman French magnete (from Latin magnes, magnet-).