lodestone

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The Word of the Day for October 1 is:=20

lodestone   \LOAD-stoan\   noun
        1 : magnetite possessing polarity
    *2 : something that strongly attracts

Example sentence:
     The old battlefield is a lodestone for history buffs, and many peop=
le travel long distances to visit it.

Did you know?
      "Lodestone" is made up of distinctly English components, ones that=
 have been part of our language since before the 12th century. "Lode" co=
mes from the Old English "l=C4=81d," which means "way, journey, course."=
 The word "stone" derives from the Old English "st=C4=81n," which had th=
e same meaning as the modern term =E2=80=9Cstone.=E2=80=9D When the two =
ancient words were combined to form "lodestone" around 1515, the new ter=
m referred to magnetite, an oxide of iron that forms a natural magnet.





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