Bernard DeVoto
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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
Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
In the 1980s, I was impressed by Neil Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death, which argued that television was corroding American society and democracy.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
As the song progresses, more elements—slow-moving filter sweeps, waltzing arpeggios, a deep and doomy bassline—appear and disappear, moving into the fore of the stereo field before corroding and flaking away.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
If your burner is dirty, corroded, or blocked, this can prevent your water heater from lighting.
—Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for corrode
Cite this Entry
“Corrode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corrode. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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corrode
verb
