corrode

[ kuh-rohd ]

/ kəˈroʊd /

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See synonyms for: corrode / corroded / corroding on Thesaurus.com

Definition of corrode

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.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM corrode

cor·rod·ent, nouncor·rod·er, nouncor·rod·i·ble, adjectivecor·rod·i·bil·i·ty, noun

non·cor·rod·i·ble, adjectivenon·cor·rod·ing, adjective, nounun·cor·rod·ed, adjective

Words nearby corrode

corrival, corroborant, corroborate, corroboration, corroboree, corrode, corrody, corrosion, corrosive, corrosive sublimate, corrugate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use corrode in a sentence

As it corrodes, the bronze creates an anti-bacterial environment in the surrounding soil.
How Scotland forged a rare alliance between amateur treasure hunters and archaeologists|Corinne Iozzio|August 24, 2021|Popular-Science
Cracks in garage ceilings, corroded rebar in concrete columns, and signs of saltwater seepage after bad weather—not uncommon features of older seaside structures in this part of the state—are being seen with new and wary eyes.
‘The Fear Is Very Real.’ The Surfside Collapse Is Renewing Focus on Climate Change Risks|Justin Worland|July 2, 2021|Time
Their windows were boarded up and their playground equipment was corroded.
Held Back: Inside a Lost School Year|by Annie Waldman, ProPublica, photography by Cydni Elledge|June 28, 2021|ProPublica
After that, Acebo said the van was frequently inoperable, and it sat in her driveway corroding with rust.
When Births Go Horribly Wrong, Florida Protects Doctors and Forces Families to Pay the Price|by Carol Marbin Miller and Daniel Chang, Miami Herald|April 8, 2021|ProPublica

Violence surrounds us and corrodes discourse, and the basic structure of democracy, capitalism and America constrains the equal pursuit of happiness.
Helen Frankenthaler came from wealth and privilege. Her art transcends that.|Philip Kennicott|March 19, 2021|Washington Post
It would be tempting, at this point, to say that the Internet will corrode religious authority and usher in the Great Secular Age.
God vs. the Internet. And the Winner is…|Michael Schulson|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They can corrode through whatever human tissue they contact if swallowed or stuck into an orifice, sometimes in a matter of hours.
Kids Eat the Darndest Things: Laundry Pods, Teething Necklaces, and More Of The Weirdest Stuff Sending Kids to the E.R.|Russell Saunders|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Throwing hot fat into your trash can will melt the bag, and pouring it down the sink will corrode the pipes.
America's Bacon Addiction|Sarah Whitman-Salkin|June 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Quakers are diligent; they help one another, and the fear of want does not corrode their minds.
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 459|Various
You take it for granted that metals corrode, coastlines change, and storms interfere with communication.
Deathworld|Harry Harrison
Again, a cylinder oil should not have any acid in it which would have a tendency to corrode the metal.
Farm Engines and How to Run Them|James H. Stephenson
It needed but a little of the splendour and luxury of an oriental court to corrode the old iron of the Spartan character.
The Walls of Constantinople|Bernard Granville Baker
If it would corrode it would be valueless for many of the uses to which it is put.
Colorado--The Bright Romance of American History|F. C. Grable

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 forms of corrode

corrodant 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

corrode

Definition of corrode

Origin of corrode

OTHER WORDS FROM corrode

Words nearby corrode

Words related to corrode

How to use corrode in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for corrode

Derived forms of corrode

Word Origin for corrode