cathode
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek κατα- (kata-, “down”) and ὁδός (hodós, “journey, way”), forming the New Greek compound κάθοδος (káthodos, “to go down”). Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday, who introduced it later that year.
Pronunciation
Noun
cathode (plural cathodes)
- (electricity) An electrode, of a cell or other electrically polarized device, through which a positive current of electricity flows outwards (and thus, electrons flow inwards). It usually, but not always, has a positive voltage.
- (chemistry, by extension) The electrode at which chemical reduction of cations takes place, usually resulting in the deposition of metal onto the electrode.
- (electronics) The electrode from which electrons are emitted into a vacuum tube or gas-filled tube.
- (electronics) That electrode of a semiconductor device which is connected to the n-type material of a p-n junction.
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
electrode through which current flows outward
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Translations to be checked
French
Noun
cathode f (plural cathodes)
Further reading
- “cathode”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English terms coined by William Whewell
- English coinages
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Electricity
- en:Chemistry
- en:Electronics
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French countable nouns
- French feminine nouns