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

The electrodes are attached to an external pacing box, which delivers the electricity through wires that come out of the patient’s chest. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025

As part of treatment for severe epilepsy, 11 adolescent patients had electrodes implanted deep into the part of the brain that is critical for key language function. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025

In the lab, Cortical is assembling these units to construct a first-of-its-kind biological neural network server stack, housing 30 individual units that each contain the cells on their electrode array, which is expected to go online in the coming months. —New Atlas, 3 Mar. 2025

To place the electrode, an incision of about 4 centimeters (cm) is made under the jaw. —Valerie Cacho, Verywell Health, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing electrode

• inter-electrode

Rhymes for electrode

• interelectrode

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