Corroding

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The slow chemical destruction and deterioration of solids caused by interactions with their environment can significantly weaken them
2. The process by which materials are slowly broken down through chemical reactions with their surroundings
3. A slow chemical change causing materials to decay and lose strength over time

Etymology: "Corroding" is the present participle of "corrode," so its story is really the story of the verb. The verb comes from Latin "corrodere," meaning "to gnaw" or "to gnaw away," built from "con-," an intensifying prefix here meaning "completely," and "rodere," "to gnaw." The Latin root is also the source of "rodent," the animals defined by their gnawing teeth, which makes the connection to the verb's original sense quite direct. English took the word through Middle English "corroden," either borrowed from Old French "corroder" or taken straight from Latin. Either way, the verb arrived carrying its literal image of teeth working at something until it breaks down. Over time the picture shifted from the mouth to the chemical. The word now describes metals wearing away through reactions with their surroundings, and it is used more broadly for anything slowly worn down, whether by rust, acid, or time. The participle "corroding" simply describes that process happening in progress.

Synonyms: eroding, deteriorating, rusting, decaying, eating away

Antonyms: protecting, preserving, repairing, restoring, strengthening