erosion

American  

[ih-roh-zhuhn] / ɪˈroʊ ʒən /

noun

1. the act or state of eroding; state of being eroded.

2. the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, etc.

3. the gradual decline or disintegration of something.

   Each candidate is blaming the other’s party for the erosion of international trade.

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erosion British  

/ ɪˈrəʊʒən /

noun

1. the wearing away of rocks and other deposits on the earth's surface by the action of water, ice, wind, etc

2. the act or process of eroding or the state of being eroded

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erosion Scientific  

/ ĭ-rō′zhən /

1. The gradual wearing away of land surface materials, especially rocks, sediments, and soils, by the action of water, wind, or a glacier. Usually erosion also involves the transport of eroded material from one place to another, as from the top of a mountain to an adjacent valley, or from the upstream portion of a river to the downstream portion.

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erosion Cultural  

1. A type of weathering in which surface soil and rock are worn away through the action of glaciers, water, and wind.

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Other Word Forms

• antierosion adjective
• erosional adjective
• erosive adjective

Etymology

Origin of erosion

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin ērōsiōn- (stem of ērōsiō ), derivative of ērōdere “to gnaw, eat away”; erode, -ion

Example Sentences

"The core problem is not the tariff increase itself, but rather the erosion of wage purchasing power, particularly given that some employees earn less than $100 per month," he added.

From Barron's

The new island is also expected to help reduce the erosion of saltmarsh habitat, which is at risk from rising sea levels at neighbouring Northey Island, the trust said.

From BBC

One project looked at the local effects of climate change by measuring the erosion of the cliffs along the coastline.

From Literature

The seaside road routinely has closed because of rockslides, mudflows, flooding, wildfires and coastal erosion, most notably in Big Sur but also in several sections from Malibu up through the North Coast.

From Los Angeles Times

A woman who lost her home at the start of the year due to coastal erosion has warned visitors to "stay away and don't gloat".

From BBC

Related Words

• corrosion
• decrease
• destruction
• disintegration