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

Saucony sneakers have long been trusted as a go-to brand for busy travelers, and the Cohesion sneakers are no exception as the rubber outsoles are created (based off of other top styles) to weather mile after mile without eroding. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2024

And in several of the approximately two dozen countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East where FGM is widespread, public support for it is eroding. —Ayen Deng Bior, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2024

Dolton is covered at about $10.5 million by insurance, an amount that continues eroding with increasing village legal fees, according to a petition for payment the plaintiffs’ attorneys filed in January. —Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2024

More importantly, Clooney’s candid assessment is representative of the mounting pressure Biden is facing out west, where his all-important and deep-pocketed support in Hollywood is quickly eroding. —Oliver Darcy, CNN, 11 July 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