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

How the brain test works The noninvasive test is an electroencephalogram, or EEG, which involves placing small electrodes on the scalp to record electrical activity in the brain. —Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025

Hot pressing uses simultaneous heat and pressure to improve the density, conductivity, and performance of battery components like electrode layers and cells. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025

Unlike traditional defibrillators, the electrode is placed outside the blood vessels, reducing risks such as infection or vascular damage. —Christophe Mouton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025

Here the quartz will be mixed with dehydrated wood chips and heated to 1,500 to 2,000 °C in a trio of electric-arc furnaces that use massive electrodes invented at this plant in the 1990s. —IEEE Spectrum, 22 Sep. 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