electrode

noun

elec·​trode i-ˈlek-ˌtrōd How to pronounce electrode (audio)
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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The thin electrode that covers the outer layer of the film is high-quality graphene, an expensive, single-atom-thick array of carbon. Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2023 The electrode that would face the outside of a building is a plastic film coated with a grid of gold nanowires, a single layer of graphene, and some platinum. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Feb. 2023 The procedure uses an electrode that heats the nerves in the facet joints of the back, stopping pain conduction. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 21 Nov. 2022 New York esthetician Joi Lin Tynes says high-frequency machines use an alternating current to produce heat, and the electrode emits argon gas—the orange light at the tip—which creates a germicidal response on the skin. Medea Giordano, Wired, 22 Oct. 2021 Compressing the parallel plates — triggered by, say, that finger pressing down on a table — sends an electric shock to an implantable device called a cuff electrode that carries the signal to the nearest functioning nerve. Rena Kingery, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2022 Pulses of voltage on a gate electrode modulate the conductance between the other two terminals by the exchange of ions through a solid electrolyte. IEEE Spectrum, 20 Nov. 2021 Each cell has a positive and negative electrode, separated by a membrane that allows certain ions to move through when the battery is charging and discharging. IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2023 The oxygen previously trapped in the simulated rocks migrates to an electrode (specifically, an anode), where the researchers can then capture it. Erika K. Carlson, Discover Magazine, 21 Jan. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'electrode.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of electrode was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near electrode

Cite this Entry

“Electrode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electrode. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

electrode

noun
elec·​trode i-ˈlek-ˌtrōd How to pronounce electrode (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce electrode (audio)
: a conductor used to establish electrical contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit

More from Merriam-Webster on electrode

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