electromagnet Magnet constructed from a soft iron core around which is wound a coil of wire. A magnetic field is set up when an electric current is passed through the wire. Electromagnets are used in such items as switches and electric bells, while power stations have rotating electromagnets.

e·lec·tro·mag·net / iˌlektrōˈmagnit/ • n. Physics a soft metal core made into a magnet by the passage of electric current through a coil surrounding it.