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anode

[an-ohd]
See more synonyms for anode on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the electrode or terminal by which current enters an electrolytic cell, voltaic cell, battery, etc.
  2. the negative terminal of a voltaic cell or battery.
  3. the positive terminal, electrode, or element of an electron tube or electrolytic cell.
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Origin of anode

1825–35; < Greek ánodos way up, equivalent to an- an-3 + hodós way, road
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for anode

Historical Examples

  • To the anode he attached one of the negatives, to the cathode a small piece of iron.

    Spawn of the Comet

    Harold Thompson Rich

  • He lifted the anode from the solution now, removed the negative, and held it up.

    Spawn of the Comet

    Harold Thompson Rich

  • The anode is inserted into its bulb in a quite similar manner.

    On Laboratory Arts

    Richard Threlfall

  • In the method of construction shown in Fig. 41, the anode is put in first.

    On Laboratory Arts

    Richard Threlfall

  • I do not think that the formation of a crust upon the anode can be entirely prevented.

    On Laboratory Arts

    Richard Threlfall

British Dictionary definitions for anode

anode

noun
  1. the positive electrode in an electrolytic cell
  2. Also called (esp US): plate the positively charged electrode in an electronic valve
  3. the negative terminal of a primary cellCompare cathode
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Derived Formsanodal (eɪˈnəʊdəl) or anodic (əˈnɒdɪk), adjective

Word Origin

C19: from Greek anodos a way up, from hodos a way; alluding to the movement of the current to or from the positive pole
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for anode

n.

1834, coined from Greek anodos "way up," from ana "up" (see ana-) + hodos "way" (see cede). Proposed by the Rev. William Whewell (1794-1866), English polymath, and published by English chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867). So called from the path the electrical current was thought to take. Related: Anodic.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
anode in Science

anode

[ăn′ōd′]
  1. The positive electrode in an electrolytic cell, toward which negatively charged particles are attracted. The anode has a positive charge because it is connected to the positively charged end of an external power supply.
  2. The positively charged element of an electrical device, such as a vacuum tube or a diode, to which electrons are attracted.
  3. The negative electrode of a voltaic cell, such as a battery. The anode gets its negative charge from the chemical reaction that happens inside the battery, not from an external source. Compare cathode.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.