/ ˈmægnət; NAmE / noun
1.
a piece of iron that attracts objects made of iron towards it, either naturally or because of an electric current that is passed through it
2.
[ usually sing. ] magnet (for sb/sth) a person, place or thing that sb/sth is attracted to :
In the 1990s the area became a magnet for new investment.
3.
an object with a magnetic surface that you can stick onto a metal surface :
fridge magnets of your favourite cartoon characters
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WORD 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- ).