v.
Pronunciation: k ə - ' r ō d
Function: verb
Inflected Form: cor · rod · ed ; cor · rod · ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin corrodere to gnaw to pieces, from com- + rodere to gnaw ― more at RODENT
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 : to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action <the metal was corroded beyond repair>
2 : to weaken or destroy gradually : UNDERMINE <manners and miserliness that corrode the human spirit ― Bernard De Voto>
intransitive verb : to undergo corrosion
– cor · rod · ible \ - ' r ō -d ə -b ə l \ adjective