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corrode

[ kuh-rohd ]
/ kəˈroʊd /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR corrode ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), cor·rod·ed, cor·rod·ing.

to eat or wear away gradually as if by gnawing, especially by chemical action.
to impair; deteriorate: Jealousy corroded his character.

verb (used without object), cor·rod·ed, cor·rod·ing.

to become corroded.

RELATED WORDS

impair, rot, erode, rust, deteriorate, gnaw, consume, bite, canker, oxidize, scour, corrupt, destroy, waste

Nearby words

  1. corroborant,
  2. corroborate,
  3. corroboration,
  4. corroborative,
  5. corroboree,
  6. corrody,
  7. corrosion,
  8. corrosive,
  9. corrosive sublimate,
  10. corrugate

Origin of corrode

1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French) < Latin corrōdere to gnaw to pieces, equivalent to cor- cor- + rōdere to gnaw; akin to rodent
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for corrode

British Dictionary definitions for corrode

corrode

/ (kəˈrəʊd) /

verb

to eat away or be eaten away, esp by chemical action as in the oxidation or rusting of a metal
(tr) to destroy gradually; consumehis jealousy corroded his happiness
Derived Formscorrodant or corrodent, nouncorroder, nouncorrodible, adjectivecorrodibility, noun

Word Origin for corrode

C14: from Latin corrōdere to gnaw to pieces, from rōdere to gnaw; see rodent, rat
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 corrode

corrode

v.

c.1400, from Old French corroder (14c.) or directly from Latin corrodere "to gnaw to bits, wear away," from com-, intensive prefix (see com-), + rodere "to gnaw" (see rodent). Related: Corroded; corroding.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper