corrode

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 5, 2010 is: corrode • \kuh-ROHD\  • verb 1 : to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing; especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action 2 : to weaken or destroy gradually : undermine 3 : to undergo corrosion Examples: Several sections of the pipe have corroded and will need to be replaced. "Power, the old saying goes, corrupts. It corrodes principle and beguiles politicians into placing their interests above the voters." -- From an article by Steve Huntley in the Chicago Sun-Times, November 2, 2010 Did you know? "Corrode" comes from Latin "corrodere" ("to gnaw to pieces"), a combination of the suffix "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." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.