magnet
- 01 A2 Elementary
a piece of iron or steel that can pull other metal objects toward it.
an object that produces a magnetic field, attracting iron, steel, and other ferromagnetic materials.
Simple“The children used a magnet to pick up the paperclips from the floor.”
In context“The industrial magnet was powerful enough to lift several tons of scrap metal from the shipping container in a single movement.”
Synonymslodestone - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person or place that attracts many people or things.
a person, place, or entity that exerts a powerful attraction or influence over others.
Simple“The new shopping mall is a magnet for teenagers on the weekend.”
In context“The city has become a magnet for tech startups, offering tax incentives and a highly skilled workforce to attract global investment.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a type of link used on the internet to download files directly.
a URI scheme used to identify files by their content hash rather than their location, common in peer-to-peer file sharing.
Simple“Instead of downloading a small file first, he just clicked the magnet to start the transfer.”
In context“The site provides magnets for all its open-source distributions, allowing users to verify the integrity of the data through cryptographic hashes.”
UsageOften used as an ellipsis for 'magnet link'.
Synonymsmagnet link
From Middle English magnete, via Old French magnete, Latin magnēs, magnētem (“lodestone”), from Ancient Greek μαγνῆτις [λίθος] (magnêtis [líthos], “Magnesian [stone]”), either after the Lydian city Magnesia ad Sipylum (modern-day Manisa, Turkey), or after the Greek region of Μαγνησία (Magnēsía) (whence came the colonists who founded the city in Lydia). Related to manganese, magnesia and magnesium.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.