Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "lodestone" wani yanki ne na ma'adinan ma'adinai, wanda kuma aka sani da magnetite ko loadstone. Yana da mallakar jan ƙarfe ko wasu kayan maganadisu zuwa kanta kuma ana amfani dashi azaman maganadisu na halitta. Kalmar "lodestone" ta fito ne daga kalmar Ingilishi ta tsakiya "lode," ma'ana hanya ko hanya, da "dutse," yana nufin dutse ko ma'adinai.
