anode
Americannoun
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the electrode or terminal by which current enters an electrolytic cell, voltaic cell, battery, etc.
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the negative terminal of a voltaic cell or battery.
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the positive terminal, electrode, or element of an electron tube or electrolytic cell.
noun
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the positive electrode in an electrolytic cell
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Also called (esp US): plate. the positively charged electrode in an electronic valve
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the negative terminal of a primary cell Compare cathode
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The positive electrode in an electrolytic cell, toward which negatively charged particles are attracted. The anode has a positive charge because it is connected to the positively charged end of an external power supply.
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The positively charged element of an electrical device, such as a vacuum tube or a diode, to which electrons are attracted.
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The negative electrode of a voltaic cell, such as a battery. The anode gets its negative charge from the chemical reaction that happens inside the battery, not from an external source.
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Compare cathode
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anode
1825–35; < Greek ánodos way up, equivalent to an- an- 3 + hodós way, road
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Higher carbon anode costs are expected to weigh on earnings, prompting Lim to cut his 2027-2028 earnings forecasts by 10%-11%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Meanwhile, the region around the anode, where oxidation takes place, could reach approximately pH 2.5, creating a strongly acidic environment.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
Hydrogen peroxide formed during this process can then be converted back into reactive oxygen species at the anode.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
In a battery, electrons flow from cathode to anode, external when charging and in the opposite direction when discharging or providing power.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
My unexpected success came from using a powerful rotating anode X-ray tube which had just been assembled in the Cavendish.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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