Bernard De Voto
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Corrode comes from Latin corrodere ("to gnaw to pieces"), a combination of the prefix "cor-" (used here as an intensifier with the meaning of "completely") and the verb "rodere" ("to gnaw"). At one time, "corrode" was used to literally indicate the action of gnawing away, as in "woodworms corroded the wood." But it is the more figurative senses from the action of gnawing or eating away that have persisted, as in "salt water corroded the iron" or "graphic content on television and the Internet is corroding the moral fabric of society."
Examples of corrode in a Sentence
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Additionally, a plumber can identify and replace severely corroded or restricted pipes to improve the water pressure.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2024
Yet critics insist on revisiting the women in combat debate, distracting from actual issues and corroding the unity essential to military strength.
—Marissa Loya, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
Social mores have been corroded by the banalization of violence, and patriotism is now seen as the willingness to sell oneself to the trenches for an ever-higher price, in the form of lavish enlistment bonuses and salaries.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Corrode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corrode. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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corrode
verb
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