Meaning & use
electrode
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A conductor through which electric current enters or leaves a battery, device, or other medium.
Grammar: Countable: one electrode, two electrodes.
Patterns
- positive electrode
- negative electrode
- attach an electrode to something
The battery has a positive electrode and a negative electrode.
Connect the electrode to the metal surface before switching on the current.
nouncountablemedical
A small metal pad or wire that carries electrical signals to or from a person's body for medical tests or treatment.
Grammar: Often used in the plural: The nurse attached electrodes to his chest.
Patterns
- attach electrodes to someone
- electrodes on someone's chest
The doctor placed electrodes on her chest to monitor her heart.
The EEG machine uses electrodes on the scalp to record brain activity.
Word forms
| plural | electrodes |
|---|
Common combinations
- positive electrode
- The positive electrode is usually marked with a plus sign.
- negative electrode
- Electrons flow toward the negative electrode.
- attach an electrode
- Attach the electrode firmly to the terminal.
- electrode surface
- Clean the electrode surface before use.
Synonyms and how they differ
- terminal
- Terminal is the point where current enters or leaves a battery or circuit; an electrode is the conductor itself, often inside a device.
- conductor
- Conductor is any material that allows electricity to flow; an electrode is a specific conductor used to make contact with a non-metallic part of a circuit.
Word family
- electrolysis noun
- Chemical decomposition produced by passing an electric current through a liquid, using electrodes.
- electrolyte noun
- A substance that conducts electricity when dissolved, often used in batteries.
Commonly confused: electrode or anode? electrode or cathode?
electrode vs anode
Anode is the specific positive electrode; cathode is the negative electrode. Electrode is the general term for either.
electrode vs cathode
Cathode is the negative electrode; do not confuse it with the general word electrode.
Practice
In a battery, the ______ is the conductor through which current leaves or enters.
Choose one answer.
An electrode is the conductor that carries current into or out of a battery. Electron is a subatomic particle; electric is an adjective; circuit is the complete path of current.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “electrode”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.