Magnetize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈmæɡ.nɪ.taɪz/

Definitions

1. To cause an object to become magnetic by inducing a magnetic field ; to draw someone's interest or attention strongly and irresistibly
2. To impart magnetic properties to a material so it can attract iron or steel ; to captivate or charm someone deeply and compellingly
3. To convert a substance into a magnet capable of attracting metals ; to allure or enchant a person as if by a magnetic force

Etymology: The verb "magnetize" is simply "magnet" with the suffix "-ize" added, and the more interesting history lies in the first part. The name "magnet" comes from Greek "mágnēs", and the ancient Greeks may have named the stone after Magnesia, a region in Thessaly, though the exact link is uncertain. The mineral that attracted iron, lodestone, was known to them long before anyone understood why it behaved as it did. The suffix has its own journey. The Greek ending "-izein" was used to form verbs, and it passed through Late Latin "-izare" and Old French "-iser" before reaching Middle English as "-isen". Over time, English shortened and standardized it to "-ize", a spelling that has long been a point of dispute with British spelling conventions. English formed "magnetize" from "magnet" plus this suffix, giving it the meaning of making something magnetic. The figurative sense, drawing someone's interest or attention strongly, grew out of the idea of a magnet pulling objects toward it.

Synonyms: magnet, attract

Antonyms: demagnetize