Bernard De Voto
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Corrode comes from Latin corrodere ("to gnaw to pieces"), a combination of the prefix "cor-" (used here as an intensifier with the meaning of "completely") and the verb "rodere" ("to gnaw"). At one time, "corrode" was used to literally indicate the action of gnawing away, as in "woodworms corroded the wood." But it is the more figurative senses from the action of gnawing or eating away that have persisted, as in "salt water corroded the iron" or "graphic content on television and the Internet is corroding the moral fabric of society."
Examples of corrode in a Sentence
Izzy Baskette, People.com, 11 May 2025
In the book, Ethan inherits a culture where those very behaviors have corroded morale.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
An electric car makes the most sense down to the molecular level, and as an engineer, Rosing sees the logic in a machine that uses its energy more efficiently while leaving out components that corrode or break over time.
—Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
But the capture of banks corrodes markets in more insidious ways, as well.
—Elizabeth David-Barrett, Foreign Affairs, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for corrode
Cite this Entry
“Corrode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corrode. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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corrode
verb
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