cathode
noun
cath·ode
| \ ˈka-ˌthōd
\
\
Definition of cathode
1
: the electrode of an electrochemical cell at which reduction occurs:
a
: the negative terminal of an electrolytic cell
b
: the positive terminal of a galvanic cell
2
: the electron-emitting electrode of an electron tube
broadly
: the negative electrode of a diode — compare anode
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Other Words from cathode
cathodal
\ ˈka-ˌthō-dᵊl
\
adjective
\
adjective
cathodally
adverb
cathodic
\ ka-ˈthä-dik
, -ˈthō-
\
adjective
, -ˈthō-
\
adjective
cathodically
\ ka-ˈthä-di-k(ə-)lē
, -ˈthō- \
adverb
, -ˈthō- \
adverb
Examples of cathode in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cathode manufacturing process is pictured inside a plant at the copper smelter of Codelco Ventanas in Chile in 2015. — Amrith Ramkumar, WSJ, "Weaker Dollar Lifts Copper Despite Renewed Trade Angst," 17 Sep. 2018 Connor, the artistic director, describes how a pixel looks different on an old cathode-ray-tube monitor when compared with a modern-day display. — Shannon Liao, CNN, "Why people still love retro technology like iPods and instant-film cameras," 12 July 2019 Each cell has two opposing pieces of metal: a cathode and an anode. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "This Robot Fish Powers Itself With Fake Blood," 19 June 2019 That acid, in turn, reacts on a copper catalyst coating the negative electrode, or cathode, to create CO. — Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, "This former playwright aims to turn solar and wind power into gasoline," 3 July 2019 Neuroscientists think the current makes the brain cells underneath the positive electrode (anode) work harder, while the negative electrode (cathode) has the opposite effect and calms activity in nearby neurons. — The Economist, "Zapping the brain improves creativity," 14 June 2019 Early computers sported dark mode by default, in part because black and white cathode-ray-tube monitors displayed white, amber, or green text on their inky black screens. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "Do You Really Need Dark Mode?," 8 June 2019 Applying voltage to the devices pushes positively charged silver ions out of the silver sulfide and toward the silver cathode layer, where they are reduced to metallic silver. — Quanta Magazine, "A Brain Built From Atomic Switches Can Learn," 20 Sep. 2017 The hulking lithium-ion battery in the belly of a Tesla Model S stores electrical energy as a voltage across an anode and cathode. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Where Are All the Hydrogen Cars?," 10 Aug. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cathode.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for cathode
cathode
noun
English Language Learners Definition of cathode
technical
: the part of an electrical device (such as a battery) where electrons enter
See the full definition for cathode in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cathode
noun
cath·ode
| \ ˈkath-ˌōd
\
\
Medical Definition of cathode
1
: the electrode of an electrochemical cell at which reduction occurs: as
a
: the negative terminal of an electrolytic cell
b
: the positive terminal of a storage battery that is delivering current
2
: the electron-emitting electrode of an electron tube — compare anode
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