magnetise

IPA/ˈmæɡ.nə.taɪz/
IPA/ˈmæɡ.nə.taɪz/

magnetise — verb

  • magnetisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • magnetises3rd person singular
  • magnetising-ing form
  • magnetisedpast simple

1. to give a piece of metal the power to pull other metal objects towards it, so it

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to give a piece of metal the power to pull other metal objects towards it, so it acts like a magnet

Example

Femi rubbed the steel needle against a magnet to magnetise it for the homemade compass.

magnetise + object (a metal item)

The factory uses a strong electric coil to magnetise each iron bar before shipping.

subject is often a device or current

Common collocations
  • magnetise a needle
  • magnetise the steel
  • magnetise a screwdriver
Synonyms
  • charge

    broader; can mean give electrical energy, not only magnetic power

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

magnetise + object

Usage Note

Object is almost always a piece of metal that can hold magnetism (iron, steel, nickel). Frequently passive when the cause is accidental: 'the disk was magnetised'.

Common Mistakes

The magnet magnetised the table to the wall.
The magnet held the table to the wall.
magnetise means to turn metal into a magnet, not to stick two things together.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three verbs describe putting some kind of power into an object, but they differ in what kind. 'Magnetise' is the narrowest: it means giving a piece of metal magnetic power, so it can pull other metal towards it — you magnetise a needle or a screwdriver. 'Charge' is far broader and usually means storing electrical energy, as when you charge a phone or a battery; only in technical writing does it touch magnetism. 'Energise' is the most general and often figurative, meaning to fill something or someone with energy or excitement, as in 'the speech energised the crowd'. So you magnetise a screwdriver, charge a laptop, and energise a team — each verb sits with a different object and a different kind of power.

magnetise ↗charge ↗energise ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • fully magnetise
  • permanently magnetise

Phrases

  • magnetise a piece of metal

Prepositions

  • magnetise by [stroking / a current]

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Magnetise is built from the noun 'magnet' plus the verb-forming ending '-ise', which English borrowed through French and Latin and uses to mean 'to make into' or 'to treat with'. 'Magnet' itself goes back to the Greek phrase for 'stone of Magnesia', a region in ancient Greece where naturally magnetic rock was found. The spelling 'magnetise' is the British form; American English writes 'magnetize'.