Ferromagnet

/ˈfɛroʊˌmæɡnɪt/ noun

Definition

A material like iron, cobalt, or nickel that becomes permanently or strongly magnetized when placed in a magnetic field and can retain magnetism.

Etymology

From 'ferro-' (iron) + 'magnet' (from Greek 'magnetis' referring to lodestone). The term emerged in 19th-century physics as scientists classified different types of magnetic materials.

Kelly Says

Ferromagnets are magnetic superstars—while other materials are weakly magnetic, ferromagnets like iron can be magnetized so strongly that a tiny piece can lift hundreds of times its own weight!

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