erosive

adjective

ero·​sive i-ˈrō-siv How to pronounce erosive (audio)
-ziv
: tending to erode or to induce or permit erosion
also : caused or marked by erosion
erosive arthritis
erosiveness noun
erosivity noun

Examples of erosive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Advertisement Also part of the ICM plan is an artificial underwater reef built of rocks, cobble and sand in fabric containers just beyond the waves between the two headlands, to slow erosive forces and protect the beach. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2024 These divots grew into larger depressions as more erosive energy was concentrated in a smaller area, because the grass blocked part of each wave. Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 15 June 2023 Freak accidents like the one in Washington aside, water's consistently erosive force is what our failing infrastructure system has to worry about. Kyle Hill, Discover Magazine, 24 May 2013 The land that Lindsay Klaunig and her partner bought five years ago in southeastern Ohio was ill-suited for farming: 80 acres of highly erosive hills and hollows susceptible to flooding, where cow manure and waste from a former dairy operation drained into a waterway. Linda Qiu, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2022 But those same seasonal rains that gift us fossil bones and footprints also have the erosive power to take them away. Jeremy Desilva, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2022 Mars dust may not be quite so sharp since there are erosive forces there, but the dust storms can be massive—in 2018 the rover Opportunity went offline after one bad tempest there. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 3 Sep. 2021 Streams lose resistance due to the erosive forces of flood waters, even during smaller, slower floods. Jake Frederico, The Arizona Republic, 14 Nov. 2022 The early episodes, somewhat unevenly paced, are largely devoted to the curdling of Louis and Lestat’s romance, an ecstatic honeymoon followed by the drip-drip of erosive disappointment. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'erosive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of erosive was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near erosive

Cite this Entry

“Erosive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erosive. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

erosive

adjective
ero·​sive i-ˈrō-siv How to pronounce erosive (audio)
-ziv
: tending to erode or to bring about or permit erosion
the erosive effect of water
erosiveness noun

Medical Definition

erosive

adjective
ero·​sive i-ˈrō-siv, -ziv How to pronounce erosive (audio)
: tending to erode or to induce or permit erosion
erosive lesions
also : caused or marked by erosion
erosive osteoarthritis
erosive esophagitis
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