electrode

American  

[ih-lek-trohd] / ɪˈlɛk troʊd /

noun

Electricity.

1. a conductor, not necessarily metallic, through which a current enters or leaves a nonmetallic medium, as an electrolytic cell, arc generator, vacuum tube, or gaseous discharge tube.

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electrode British  

/ ɪˈlɛktrəʊd /

noun

1. a conductor through which an electric current enters or leaves an electrolyte, an electric arc, or an electronic valve or tube

2. an element in a semiconducting device that emits, collects, or controls the movement of electrons or holes

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electrode Scientific  

/ ĭ-lĕk′trōd′ /

1. A conductor through which an electric current enters or leaves a substance (or a vacuum) whose electrical characteristics are being measured, used, or manipulated. Electrodes can be used to detect electrical activity such as brain waves. Terminal points in electrical components such as transistors, diodes, and batteries are electrodes.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interelectrode
  noun

Etymology

Origin of electrode

First recorded in 1825–35; electr- + -ode ²

Example Sentences

Rabbit eyeballs were placed in a saline solution designed to mimic natural tears, and the platinum lens served as an electrode.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

The device is known as a microscale optoelectronic tetherless electrode, or MOTE.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Sheets of copper and aluminum go through machines that coat electrode slurry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Because binders are present in such small amounts and lack clear visual signatures, scientists have had difficulty determining exactly where they are located within the electrode.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

An electrode is clipped to each sticker, which “reads” the electrical activity of his heart and prints out the pattern on a sheet of pink graph paper.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell