cathode

[ kath-ohd ]

/ ˈkæθ oʊd /

noun

the electrode or terminal by which current leaves an electrolytic cell, voltaic cell, battery, etc.

the positive terminal of a voltaic cell or battery.

the negative terminal, electrode, or element of an electron tube or electrolytic cell.

Nearby words

cathetus, cathexis, cathie, cathleen, catho, cathode, cathode dark space, cathode glow, cathode ray, cathode rays, cathode-ray tube

Origin of cathode

1825–35; < Greek káthodos a way down, equivalent to kat- cat- + hodós way

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cathode

Unlike the cathode rays, they were not deflected by magnets; and neither did they seem to be reflected or refracted similarly.
Invention|Bradley A. Fiske
He also found that the liquid round the anode became acid, and that round the cathode alkaline.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2|Various
Fig. 220 shows a Crookes tube fitted with a metal plate, so that the cathode rays coming from C will strike it.
Things a Boy Should Know About Electricity|Thomas M. (Thomas Matthew) St. John
It is not constant in this region, but increases as we approach the cathode.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 8|Various

Hittorf made in 1869 the discovery that solid objects could cast shadows or intercept this cathode discharge.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for cathode

cathode

/ (ˈkæθəʊd) /

noun

the negative electrode in an electrolytic cell; the electrode by which electrons enter a device from an external circuit

the negatively charged electron source in an electronic valve

the positive terminal of a primary cell

Compare anode

Derived Forms

cathodal (kæˈθəʊdəl), cathodic (kæˈθɒdɪk, -ˈθəʊ-) or cathodical, adjective

Word Origin for cathode

C19: from Greek kathodos a descent, from kata- down + hodos way

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

Science definitions for cathode

cathode

[ kăth′ōd′ ]

The negative electrode in an electrolytic cell, toward which positively charged particles are attracted. The cathode has a negative charge because it is connected to the negatively charged end of an external power supply.

The source of electrons in an electrical device, such as a vacuum tube or diode.

The positive electrode of a voltaic cell, such as a battery. The cathode gets its positive charge from the chemical reaction that happens inside the battery, not from an external source. Compare anode.