Magnet

See also: magnet and magnet-

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin magnēs (“lodestone”), from Ancient Greek μαγνῆτις [λίθος] (magnêtis [líthos], “Magnesian [stone]”), either after the Lydian city Magnesia ad Sipylum (modern-day Manisa, Turkey), or after the Greek region of Μαγνησία (Magnēsía) (whence came the colonist who founded the city in Lydia).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maˈɡneːt/

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• IPA^(key): /makˈneːt/, /maŋˈneːt/ (less common)
• Hyphenation: Ma‧g‧net

Noun

Magnet m (mixed or strong or weak, genitive Magnets or Magnetes or (mostly written language) Magneten, plural Magneten or Magnete)

1. magnet

Usage notes

• The singular may be declined according to the strong or the weak pattern. In the written language, both are common; in the spoken language the strong declension prevails. The plural is predominantly formed in -en.

Declension

Declension of Magnet [masculine, mixed // strong // weak]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Magnet	die	Magneten, Magnete
genitive	eines	des	Magnetes, Magnets, Magneten1	der	Magneten, Magnete
dative	einem	dem	Magnet, Magnete2, Magneten1	den	Magneten
accusative	einen	den	Magnet, Magneten1	die	Magneten, Magnete

¹Mostly only in written language.
²Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• magnetisch
• Permanentmagnet
• Dauermagnet

Descendants

• → Romanian: magnet
• → Yiddish: מאַגנעט (magnet)

Further reading

• “Magnet” in Duden online
• “Magnet” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache