| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| erode, corrode (vv.) |
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| Both mean “to wear away” or “to eat into,” and they are therefore synonyms, but erode stresses the wearing away of something as by the action of wind or water, whereas corrode stresses the eating away of something as by rust or another chemical action: The river eroded the canyon walls. The acid corroded the battery terminals. Both verbs can be used figuratively too: Age erodes muscular flexibility; lack of exercise can corrode it. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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