noun
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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
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slow deterioration by being eaten or worn away
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the condition produced by or the product of corrosion
Other Word Forms
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing corrosion
Song for a Whale
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Unit 3, Academic Vocabulary
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Their study was published in the journal Corrosion Science on September 17, 2024.
From Science Daily • Nov. 25, 2024
Corrosion in cables on the Forth Road Bridge, which had opened in 1964, meant it was a priority to reduce the volume of traffic on the older crossing.
From BBC • Nov. 24, 2024
Corrosion from salt water can cause leaks, and again and again, accidents occur as a result of commercial shipping.
From Scientific American • Oct. 5, 2022
Corrosion process involve the creation of a galvanic cell in which different sites on the metal object function as anode and cathode, with the corrosion taking place at the anodic site.
From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019
Corrosion under these stencil marks became so great that the trade mark was plainly outlined in letters of rust.
From Paint Technology and Tests by Gardner, Henry A.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
