corrosion

[kuh-roh-zhuh n]

See more synonyms for corrosion on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or process of corroding; condition of being corroded.
a product of corroding, as rust.

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

Related formscor·ro·sion·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for corrosion

decomposition, erosion, deterioration, rust, decay, wear, degeneration, oxidation

Examples from the Web for corrosion

Contemporary Examples of corrosion

(LOC 3507-3510) The most dangerous consequence of sexual attraction, however, is the corrosion of unit cohesion.
The Truth About Women in Combat
David Frum
March 1, 2013

Historical Examples of corrosion

Corrosion may be removed by washing the part in a solution of baking soda.
The Automobile Storage Battery
O. A. Witte
The valve was not easy to turn; it seemed fixed with the corrosion of ages.
The Pygmy Planet
John Stewart Williamson
It must have been new when this world froze, for there was no sign of corrosion or oxidation.
Islands of Space
John W Campbell
But the corrosion of him burned in her till it burned itself out.
The Rainbow
D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence
Long after the Colorado began its work of corrosion there was a mighty upheaval.
Our Italy
Charles Dudley Warner

British Dictionary definitions for corrosion

corrosion

noun

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
slow deterioration by being eaten or worn away
the condition produced by or the product of corrosion

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 corrosion

c.1400, from Middle French corrosion or directly from Latin corrosionem (nominative corrosio), noun of action from past participle stem of corrodere (see corrode).

corrosion in Science

corrosion

[kə-rō′zhən]

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.