Word of the Day
: April 16, 2021lodestone
playWhat It Means
1 : magnetite possessing polarity
2 : something that strongly attracts
lodestone in Context
"… the city was a lodestone of rock-and-roll and rhythm-and-blues innovation." — John Beifuss, The Memphis (Tennessee) Commercial Appeal, 2 Nov. 2020
"[Britney] Spears … became a vessel for our intense emotions, but in the process, she would also become a lodestone for criticism of an entire generation's tastes and habits." — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2021
Did You Know?
Lodestone is made up of distinctly English components, ones that have been part of our language since before the 12th century. Lode comes from the Old English lād, which means "way, journey, course." The word stone derives from the Old English stān, which had the same meaning as the modern term stone. When the two ancient words were combined to form lodestone in the early 16th century, the new term referred to magnetite, a magnetic iron ore. Just as a new business district might be a magnet for entrepreneurs, or a poor soul a magnet for bad luck, lodestone sees similar figurative use describing things with a seeming power to attract.
