corrosion

American  

[kuh-roh-zhuhn] / kəˈroʊ ʒən /

noun

corrosions plural

1. the act or process of corroding; condition of being corroded.

2. a product of corroding, as rust.

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corrosion British  

/ kəˈrəʊʒən /

noun

1. a process in which a solid, esp a metal, is eaten away and changed by a chemical action, as in the oxidation of iron in the presence of water by an electrolytic process

2. slow deterioration by being eaten or worn away

3. the condition produced by or the product of corrosion

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corrosion Scientific  

/ kə-rō′zhən /

1. The breaking down or destruction of a material, especially a metal, through chemical reactions. The most common form of corrosion is rusting, which occurs when iron combines with oxygen and water.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• corrosional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• corrosions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of corrosion

1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Late Latin corrōsiōn- (stem of corrōsiō ) a gnawing away, equivalent to Latin corrōs ( us ), past participle of corrōdere to corrode + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Corrosion is the process by which something deteriorates because of oxidation, a chemical action that creates oxides that flake away from the base. When you see a rusty, shoddy looking car, corrosion is the culprit. Although the word is most often associated with the physical breakdown of a metal through rusting, the erosion of rock by wind and water is a form of corrosion. The word can also be applied to other situations, like the corrosion of a once-strong friendship. There could be corrosion of relations between two countries. Whenever something's being worn down or eaten away, you can call it corrosion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

corrosion corrosions

The confinement structure is temporarily patched, and Ukraine seeks $580 million for repairs to prevent irreversible corrosion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

The main long-term risks are corrosion of the copper canisters or earthquakes during future ice ages, which could potentially damage the capsules and cause radioactive fuel to leak, Kyllonen said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

The first electric powered train passed through in June 2020 but the tunnel's overhead power system has since suffered corrosion and electrical wear, meaning more frequent maintenance.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

The material resists corrosion under conditions that normally push stainless steel past its limits, making it a promising candidate for producing hydrogen from seawater and other harsh electrolyzer environments.

From Science Daily ● May 10, 2026

Over in the production group at ATK, a whole different division, they sometimes had trouble with a machine that inspected the booster rockets’ O-ring grooves to make sure there was no corrosion.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Genre-bending authors are often well-suited to making sense of the daily horrors and subtle corrosions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

All religions have changed and suffered secular corrosions, despite signs of revival in recent years.

From Time Magazine Archive

Now, for all the corrosions of inflation, food prices and property taxes, money seems a bit looser.

From Time Magazine Archive

A prey incessantly to such corrosions, might not, moreover, as the worst aggravation to them, the iron constitution even of a Teufelsdröckh threaten to fail?

From Sartor Resartus, and On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History by Carlyle, Thomas

More graceful in its architecture than the arena, the theater yielded more readily to the vandalisms of the conquerors and the corrosions of time.

From The Car That Went Abroad Motoring Through the Golden Age by Paine, Albert Bigelow

Related Words

• decay
• decomposition
• deterioration
• erosion
• rust