corrosion

American  

[kuh-roh-zhuhn] / kəˈroʊ ʒən /

noun

• corrosions
  plural

1. the act or process of corroding; condition of being corroded.

2. a product of corroding, as rust.

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corrosion British  

/ kəˈrəʊʒən /

noun

1. a process in which a solid, esp a metal, is eaten away and changed by a chemical action, as in the oxidation of iron in the presence of water by an electrolytic process

2. slow deterioration by being eaten or worn away

3. the condition produced by or the product of corrosion

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corrosion Scientific  

/ kə-rō′zhən /

1. The breaking down or destruction of a material, especially a metal, through chemical reactions. The most common form of corrosion is rusting, which occurs when iron combines with oxygen and water.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• corrosional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• corrosions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of corrosion

1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Late Latin corrōsiōn- (stem of corrōsiō ) a gnawing away, equivalent to Latin corrōs ( us ), past participle of corrōdere to corrode + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

Corrosion is the process by which something deteriorates because of oxidation, a chemical action that creates oxides that flake away from the base. When you see a rusty, shoddy looking car, corrosion is the culprit. Although the word is most often associated with the physical breakdown of a metal through rusting, the erosion of rock by wind and water is a form of corrosion. The word can also be applied to other situations, like the corrosion of a once-strong friendship. There could be corrosion of relations between two countries. Whenever something's being worn down or eaten away, you can call it corrosion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

corrosion corrosions

It also enables the production of alloys which are highly resistant, notably to corrosion and heat, a boon for sectors such as aerospace as well as defence.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

“I’m very concerned about the possible corrosion, specifically rust, of all the hardware that holds the bridge together and that attaches the cables,” one participant said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Years of exposure to salt spray contributed to corrosion of the cannons - which will be treated at Dorothea Restorations in Bristol.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

For the rest of us, the corrosion of a 37,000-person-strong crimefighting force tasked with investigating everything from terrorism to corruption is arguably a threat to public safety.

From Slate ● Sep. 30, 2026

Ever since the Hunley was placed in this tank, researchers and scientists have been painstakingly cleaning a century-and-a-half of sand, sediment, corrosion, and encrustation from the world’s first successful combat submarine.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

Genre-bending authors are often well-suited to making sense of the daily horrors and subtle corrosions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

All religions have changed and suffered secular corrosions, despite signs of revival in recent years.

From Time Magazine Archive

Now, for all the corrosions of inflation, food prices and property taxes, money seems a bit looser.

From Time Magazine Archive

More graceful in its architecture than the arena, the theater yielded more readily to the vandalisms of the conquerors and the corrosions of time.

From The Car That Went Abroad Motoring Through the Golden Age by Albert Bigelow Paine

Yes, he was an optimist and a dreamer!—one who had, indeed, never grappled in his own person with the worst poisons and corrosions of the soul.

From The Marriage of William Ashe by Mrs. Humphry Ward

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Related Words

• decay
• decomposition
• deterioration
• erosion
• rust

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