erode

verb

i-ˈrōd 

eroded; eroding

transitive verb

1

: to diminish or destroy by degrees:

a

: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance (as by acid, infection, or cancer)

b

: to wear away by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice

flooding eroded the hillside

c

: to cause to deteriorate or disappear as if by eating or wearing away

inflation eroding buying power

2

: to produce or form by eroding

glaciers erode U-shaped valleys

intransitive verb

: to undergo erosion

where the land has eroded away

erodibility

i-ˌrō-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

erodible adjective

or less commonly erodable

i-ˈrō-də-bəl 

Synonyms

• bite (at)
• corrode
• eat
• fret
• gnaw
• nibble

Examples of erode in a Sentence

Crashing waves have eroded the cliffs along the beach.

The shoreline has eroded badly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Another threat to the population is the the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project which is diverting water and sediment from the Mississippi River into the bay to rebuild eroding marshland. —Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, technological innovations threaten to further erode the line between civilians and combatants. —Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Some argue that the new remote-first way of work has eroded office friendships, drastically decreasing the amount of time people spend in-person socializing and building connections. —Trey Williams, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2024

In conjunction with the new lease, the FAA has replaced an aging dock that provides boat access to the island and recently restored riprap in four places where the island was eroding into the bay. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2024

But by planting the movie in the 1980s, Rohrwacher casts a sad glance at her country’s postwar development, depicting a land of eroding infrastructure, bumbling cops, and a cutthroat, capitalistic market for the artifacts Arthur is hunting. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024

But the notion of amateurism at the Olympics has eroded over the last three decades, as professional athletes have been allowed to participate. —Victor Mather, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024

This otherworldly seascape was formed by ancient lava flows, eroded over millions of years into these towering rocks and islets. —Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024

Both structures have been heavily eroded due to rising sea levels and now only stand several feet high. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin erodere to eat away, from e- + rodere to gnaw — more at rodent

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

erode

verb

i-ˈrōd 

eroded; eroding

1

a

: to destroy gradually by chemical means : corrode

b

: to wear away by or as if by the action of water, wind, or glacial ice

2

: to undergo erosion

Etymology

from Latin erodere "to eat away," from e- "away" and rodere "to gnaw" — related to rodent

Medical Definition

erode

transitive verb

i-ˈrōd 

eroded; eroding

1

: to eat into or away by slow destruction of substance (as by acid, infection, or cancer)

acids that erode the teeth

bone eroded by cancer

2

: to remove with an abrasive

a dental tool that erodes the decayed area