electrolysis

noun

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elec·trol·y·sis | \ i-ˌlek-ˈträ-lə-səs

Definition of electrolysis

1a : the producing of chemical changes by passage of an electric current through an electrolyte

b : subjection to this action

2 : the destruction of hair roots by an electrologist using direct current

Examples of electrolysis in a Sentence

She had electrolysis done on her upper lip.

Recent Examples on the Web As Boston Metal expands its efforts in electrolysis, many steel companies are placing their bets on hydrogen to curb emissions. — Maria Gallucci, Wired, "How Steel Might Finally Kick Its Coal Habit," 6 Feb. 2021 Over the summer, the agency issued a request for proposals seeking companies that can produce hydrogen using renewable energy, most likely through a process known as electrolysis, in which water molecules are split into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. — Los Angeles Times, "Boiling Point: The coal industry comes tumbling down in the American West," 24 Dec. 2020 High-temperature electrolysis of hydrogen requires process heat. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "Tiny Nuclear Reactors Yield a Huge Amount of Clean Hydrogen," 14 Dec. 2020 Hecht said, one day, electrolysis of water would be important for fuel production on Mars but not necessarily in the way outlined in the paper. — Katie Hunt, CNN, "Scientists say they have come up with a potential way to make oxygen on Mars," 8 Dec. 2020 It is produced through electrolysis, in which machines split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with no other by-products. — Jeff Carbeck, Scientific American, "Green Hydrogen Could Fill Big Gaps In Renewable Energy," 10 Nov. 2020 Excess renewable energy—for instance, generated by solar panels in good weather—can be turned into hydrogen fuel through electrolysis and stored for later use. — Giulia Petroni, WSJ, "Major Energy Companies Bet Big on Hydrogen," 22 Oct. 2020 With courts and businesses closed, many weren’t able to schedule gender-affirming services like health-care consultations, electrolysis, and ID changes. — Lauren Rowello, Marie Claire, "Transitioning in the Age of Zoom," 24 Nov. 2020 Utilities are using wind and solar power to create hydrogen from water using a process known as electrolysis. — Katherine Blunt, WSJ, "Utilities Look to Green Hydrogen to Cut Carbon Emissions," 5 Sep. 2020

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