lodestone

noun

lode·​stone ˈlōd-ˌstōn How to pronounce lodestone (audio)
variants or less commonly loadstone
1
: magnetite possessing polarity
2
: something that strongly attracts

Did you know?

The word lodestone is sometimes confused, understandably, with the similar-sounding lodestar. Both combine lode, which comes from the Old English noun lād, meaning “course,” with another word with ancient Old English roots: stone (from stān) and star (from steorra), respectively. Both lodestone and lodestar also refer to things—both literal and figurative—with the power to inspire or compel movement. But while a lodestar is something that leads the way (e.g., a moral principle that guides a person through life), a lodestone draws things toward itself. Sometimes lodestone refers to an actual magnet; indeed, its original use in the early 16th century was as a synonym for magnetite. But it didn’t take long for lodestone to attract a metaphorical sense. Today a business district might be a lodestone for entrepreneurs, or a lottery-playing friend (with the promise of riches as their lodestar) a lodestone—they hope—for good luck.

Examples of lodestone in a Sentence

the young woman's wealth unfortunately made her a lodestone for fortune hunters
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With the lodestone defender of his 2024 recruiting class in place, Freeze was set to make the largest splash possible during one of Auburn’s most important recruiting weekends of the year. Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 2 Aug. 2023 Davies has basically just tapped into my intellectual lodestone here. David Karpf, WIRED, 27 July 2023 And hey, just spitballing here, but maybe the next big pile of money should actually go to, say, the millions of college students who played by the rules and are now shackled with a lodestone of debt rather than going to the same old band of rich narcissists who put us in this hole. Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 1 Apr. 2023 The community of about 2,500, two hours northeast of metro Kansas City, was the hometown and emotional lodestone of Walt Disney. John Bordsen, CNN, 5 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for lodestone 

Word History

Etymology

obsolete lode course, from Middle English

First Known Use

circa 1518, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lodestone was circa 1518

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Cite this Entry

“Lodestone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lodestone. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

lodestone

noun
lode·​stone
variants also loadstone
ˈlōd-ˌstōn
1
: a rock having magnetic properties
2
: something that strongly attracts

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