electrode

noun

elec·​trode i-ˈlek-ˌtrōd 

1

: a conductor used to establish electrical contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit

2

: an element in a semiconductor device (such as a transistor) that emits or collects electrons or holes or controls their movements

Examples of electrode in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The neuronal structures sit on a mesh of electrodes, which capture neural signals to send to the mallets. —Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025

The implants bypass the almost unimaginably complex sensory structures of the cochlea with relatively simple electrodes. —David Owen, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

The cats were wired up with electrodes to monitor brain activity and put through a bootcamp of sorts. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025

This is also true for graphite, used in battery electrodes and a variety of industrial applications. —Scott L. Montgomery, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing electrode

• inter-electrode

Rhymes for electrode

• interelectrode

Kids Definition

electrode

noun

elec·​trode i-ˈlek-ˌtrōd 

: a conductor (as a metal or carbon) used to make electrical contact with a part of an electrical circuit that is not metallic

Medical Definition

electrode

noun

elec·​trode i-ˈlek-ˌtrōd 

: a conductor used to establish electrical contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit