erosion
the act or state of eroding; state of being eroded.
the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, etc.
the gradual decline or disintegration of something: Each candidate is blaming the other’s party for the erosion of international trade.
Origin of erosion
1Other words from erosion
- e·ro·sion·al, adjective
- an·ti·e·ro·sion, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use erosion in a sentence
The erosions or ulcers beneath the crusts secrete a greenish-yellow fluid.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin | Henry Weightman StelwagonOr there may occur erosions of the parts with eventual hypertrophy and loss of function, partial or complete.
Lameness of the Horse | John Victor LacroixAutopsies in some old horses reveal the presence of erosions of cartilage and hyperthrophy of the inflamed parts.
Lameness of the Horse | John Victor LacroixErosions due to torrents are always found in places more or less depressed, and never occur upon large inclined surfaces.
A History of Science, Volume 3(of 5) | Henry Smith WilliamsThe gynecologist must adjust uterine displacements and heal cervical erosions.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation | Austin O'Malley
British Dictionary definitions for erosion
/ (ɪˈrəʊʒən) /
the wearing away of rocks and other deposits on the earth's surface by the action of water, ice, wind, etc
the act or process of eroding or the state of being eroded
Derived forms of erosion
- erosive or erosional, adjective
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
Scientific definitions for erosion
[ ĭ-rō′zhən ]
The gradual wearing away of land surface materials, especially rocks, sediments, and soils, by the action of water, wind, or a glacier. Usually erosion also involves the transport of eroded material from one place to another, as from the top of a mountain to an adjacent valley, or from the upstream portion of a river to the downstream portion.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for erosion
A type of weathering in which surface soil and rock are worn away through the action of glaciers, water, and wind.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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