lodestone means the mineral magnetite.
lodestone is pronounced /ˈloʊdˌstoʊn/.
Why “lodestone” is a great word
A naturally magnetized piece of magnetite that served as an early compass needle and has come to signify a guiding or focal point of attraction. From Middle English lode (“course, way, guide”) + stone; first attested c. 1510–1515. Unlike "magnetite" (the inert mineral form) or "lodestar" (a celestial beacon), the lodestone is a terrestrial and magnetic heart. It is the rough black stone in a navigator’s pocket, swinging northward by an invisible covenant; the mineral that emerged from the earth already charged with purpose; the weight in one’s palm that promises direction when stars are lost—our oldest acknowledgment that some objects arrive in the world already oriented toward their function.
Etymology
First attested from 1515, from Middle English lode (“guide”) + stone. From use as a guide tool by mariners. See also: lodestar.
noun
- The mineral magnetite.
- Any naturally occurring magnet.
- The focus of one's attraction or attention“an ideological lodestone”
Words closest in meaning
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