cor·rode

[kuh-rohd] verb, cor·rod·ed, cor·rod·ing.
verb (used with object)
1.
to eat or wear away gradually as if by gnawing, especially by chemical action.
2.
to impair; deteriorate: Jealousy corroded his character.
verb (used without object)
3.
to become corroded.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French) < Latin corrōdere to gnaw to pieces, equivalent to cor- cor- + rōdere to gnaw; akin to rodent

cor·rod·ent, noun
cor·rod·er, noun
cor·rod·i·ble, adjective
cor·rod·i·bil·i·ty, noun
non·cor·rod·i·ble, adjective
non·cor·rod·ing, adjective, noun
un·cor·rod·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.
Collins
World English Dictionary
corrode (kəˈrəʊd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to eat away or be eaten away, esp by chemical action as in the oxidation or rusting of a metal
2.  (tr) to destroy gradually; consume: his jealousy corroded his happiness
 
[C14: from Latin corrōdere to gnaw to pieces, from rōdere to gnaw; see rodent, rat]
 
cor'rodant
 
n
 
cor'rodent
 
n
 
cor'roder
 
n
 
cor'rodible
 
adj
 
corrodi'bility
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

corrode
c.1400, from O.Fr. corroder, from L. corrodere "to gnaw to bits," from com- intensive prefix + rodere "to gnaw" (see rodent).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
It will not rust or corrode and it's chemically inert, so it will not collect
  mineral deposits.
The use of study drugs by healthy students could corrode valuable practices
  that education has traditionally fostered.
The company says contacts will not corrode unless exposed to seawater for long
  periods.
New alloys will be needed that do not crack or corrode under stress.
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