cathode
Americannoun
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the electrode or terminal by which current leaves an electrolytic cell, voltaic cell, battery, etc.
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the positive terminal of a voltaic cell or battery.
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the negative terminal, electrode, or element of an electron tube or electrolytic cell.
noun
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the negative electrode in an electrolytic cell; the electrode by which electrons enter a device from an external circuit
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the negatively charged electron source in an electronic valve
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the positive terminal of a primary cell
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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.
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The source of electrons in an electrical device, such as a vacuum tube or diode.
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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.
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Compare anode
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cathode
1825–35; < Greek káthodos a way down, equivalent to kat- cat- ( def. ) + hodós way
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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.
The team paired the new catalyst with a nickel iron anode and found that the system performed better than a leading state-of-the-art cathode, including one based on PGM materials.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
The metal is shipped as cathode plates in sealed containers, representing about 95 percent of the volume from the DRC.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
At first, we don’t quite know when we are — the TV sets are cathode ray, the phones are landlines and a cigarette machine sits in the town bar.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
A waterproof coating allows the cathode to keep functioning, and the vertical layout helps it dry gradually after water recedes.
From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026
Except for the hum of the green cathode tube, it's quiet.
From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements
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.
