corrosion

American  

[kuh-roh-zhuhn] / kəˈroʊ ʒən /

noun

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

• corrosional
  adjective

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

Corrosion in cables on the Forth Road Bridge, which had opened in 1964, meant it was a priority to reduce the volume of traffic on the older crossing.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2024

Corrosion of metals in surgical implants is a huge problem, and because the metal is the functional part, as well as the corroding part, the amount of metal is key.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2024

Corrosion from salt water can cause leaks, and again and again, accidents occur as a result of commercial shipping.

From Scientific American • Oct. 5, 2022

Corrosion process involve the creation of a galvanic cell in which different sites on the metal object function as anode and cathode, with the corrosion taking place at the anodic site.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Corrosion of the boiler will be lessened if the boiler is kept quite full of water when not in use.

From Things To Make by Williams, Archibald

Related Words

• decay
• decomposition
• deterioration
• erosion
• rust