1. An object that is surrounded by a magnetic field and that has the property, either natural or induced, of attracting iron or steel.
2. An electromagnet.
3. A person, a place, an object, or a situation that exerts attraction.

[Middle English, from Old French magnete, from Latin magnēs, magnēt-, from Greek Magnēs (lithos), Magnesian (stone), magnet, from Magnēsiā, Magnesia, an ancient city of Asia Minor.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.