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

Together, the two layers allow the steel to resist corrosion in chloride containing environments at potentials reaching 1700 mV.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Congress established the National Academies in 1863 to advise on science—e.g., fixing the weights and measures of currency and methods for protecting ship hulls from saltwater corrosion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

The defence's main argument is that the bridge had a hidden construction defect, namely corrosion of the bridge's cables, and it was this that caused its collapse, not a lack of maintenance.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

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

Did we repeat the experiment, we should instead inoculate in the leg, which, being further removed from the pneumatic, electrico-aetherial, and hydraulico- vascular machinery, is less likely to lead to internal corrosion and fatality, viz.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

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

From Time Magazine Archive

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

From Time Magazine Archive

The corrosions may be small, or may extend over a very large surface.

From Aids to Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by W. G. Aitchison (William George Aitchison ) Robertson

Yes, he was an optimist and a dreamer!—one who had, indeed, never grappled in his own person with the worst poisons and corrosions of the soul.

From The Marriage of William Ashe by Mrs. Humphry Ward

Related Words

• decay
• decomposition
• deterioration
• erosion
• rust