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# magnetic

adjective (magnetic; more magnetic)

«magnetic» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Magnetic means able to pull iron or steel towards itself, like a magnet. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#m1)
2. Magnetic also describes things a magnet can pull, like iron nails. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#m2)
3. Magnetic can describe something to do with magnets or the Earth's magnetism, like the magnetic North Pole. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#m3)
4. A magnetic person is someone people are strongly drawn to. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science lessons children sort objects into magnetic and non-magnetic: iron, steel, nickel and cobalt are magnetic; wood, plastic, glass, paper, and most coins and aluminium cans are not. A compass works because its needle is magnetic and lines up with the Earth's magnetic field. Phrases: «magnetic field», «magnetic poles», «magnetic north», «magnetic strip» (on a bank card), «magnetic letters» (fridge letters).

### Examples

- Iron nails are magnetic, but plastic spoons are not. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x1)
- We tested which objects were magnetic. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x2)
- A compass needle is magnetic and points north. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x3)
- The fridge magnets are magnetic letters. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x4)
- The Earth has a magnetic field around it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x5)
- Don't put a magnet near a bank card with a magnetic strip. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x6)
- Not all metals are magnetic; aluminium foil isn't. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x7)
- The singer had a magnetic smile. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x8)
- For instance, why a piece of iron which is rubbed on a cylinder, should become magnetic. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/#x9)

### Note

A common myth: «all metals are magnetic». Only a few are: iron, nickel, cobalt and things made with them, like steel. Gold, silver, copper and aluminium are not. Noun: «magnet», «magnetism»; verb: «magnetise / magnetize». «Magnetic» is an adjective, so you say «a magnetic object», not «a magnet object».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «magnetic» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/magnetic/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«magnetic» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/magnetic.html) on Mova free.