cathode
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Ancient Greek κατα- (kata-, “down”) and ὁδός (hodós, “journey, way”), forming the New Greek compound κάθοδος (káthodos, “to go down”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈkæθ.oʊd/
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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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
French
Further reading
- “cathode” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
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