A strong permanent magnet made from an alloy of aluminum, nickel, cobalt, and iron, used in motors and electronic devices.
A portmanteau (blended word) formed from the first letters of aluminum, nickel, and cobalt. This brand-name-style word was created in the early 20th century when the alloy was developed for industrial applications.
Alnico magnets were revolutionary in electronics—before rare-earth magnets, these were the strongest magnets engineers had, and you'll find them in vintage radios, motors, and microphones, which is why they're still studied today.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.