electrode

noun

elec·​trode i-ˈlek-ˌtrōd 

1

: a conductor used to establish electrical contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit

2

: an element in a semiconductor device (such as a transistor) that emits or collects electrons or holes or controls their movements

Examples of electrode in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In practice, this means having electrodes surgically implanted underneath a patient’s skull to directly measure brain neurons. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 16 Jan. 2025

Tesla owners can use a household 9-volt battery to connect to electrodes (concealed in the front bumper tow-pin cover) to trigger the locks. —Mark Maynard, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025

The surgeon drills through the mastoid bone, creating a path allowing the electrodes to reach the cochlea. —Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 11 Dec. 2024

The electrodes pick up electrical signals from those contractions, interpret them, and initiate movements in the prosthetic. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing electrode

• inter-electrode

Kids Definition

electrode

noun

elec·​trode i-ˈlek-ˌtrōd 

: a conductor (as a metal or carbon) used to make electrical contact with a part of an electrical circuit that is not metallic

Medical Definition

electrode

noun

elec·​trode i-ˈlek-ˌtrōd 

: a conductor used to establish electrical contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit