Eroded

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The gradual wearing down of materials due to natural elements results in a loss of mass or integrity
2. A condition where external forces progressively undermine the physical structure or quality of an object
3. The process by which external factors cause a gradual reduction in the substance or quality of something occurs over time through natural mechanisms

Etymology: "Eroded" is the past tense and past participle of "erode," and "erode" comes from French "éroder," which in turn descends from the Latin "ērōdō," meaning "to gnaw away." The Latin verb was built from "ex-" meaning "out" or "away" and "rōdere," "to gnaw," so the core image is of something being chewed off bit by bit. That gnawing picture is still visible in the modern sense. A rock face worn down by rain and wind, or a coastline nibbled back by waves, is being gnawed away in exactly the way the Latin verb described. The word moved from the teeth of an animal to the slow action of natural forces, and then extended to abstract things such as trust, confidence, or a nation's power.

Synonyms: worn, deteriorated, decayed, damaged, washed away

Antonyms: preserved, protected, maintained, repaired, renewed