bar magnet

noun

1. a bar-shaped, usually permanent, magnet.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bar magnet¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

If the interior is electrically conducting, a thick layer of convecting material will generate a dipole magnetic field similar to that of a bar magnet.

From Science Daily

To magnetize an iron nail, one simply has to stroke its surface several times with a bar magnet.

From Science Daily

But unlike Earth’s magnetic field or that of a bar magnet, the sun’s magnetism is patchy and highly fluid, even during its dipole stage.

From Scientific American

Because Earth’s magnetic field is dipolar like a bar magnet and aligned roughly perpendicular to our world’s rotation, geomagnetic field lines extend most prominently from the vicinity of our planet’s North and South poles.

From Scientific American

During the sun’s quiet periods — solar activity varies on an 11-year cycle, from comparatively calm to hyperactive — the sun’s magnetic field possesses this bar magnet configuration.

From New York Times