Adjacent Words

Erosion definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ERO'SION, n. s as z. [L. erosio.] The act or operation of eating away.
1. The state of being eaten away; corrosion; canker.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: (geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it) [syn: erosion, eroding, eating away, wearing, wearing away]
2: condition in which the earth's surface is worn away by the action of water and wind
3: a gradual decline of something; "after the accounting scandal there was an erosion of confidence in the auditors"
4: erosion by chemical action [syn: corrosion, corroding, erosion]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1541 1. a. the action or process of eroding b. the state of being eroded 2. an instance or product of erosive action • erosional adjective • erosionally adverb

Britannica Concise

Removal of surface material from the earth's crust and transportation of the eroded materials by natural agencies from the point of removal. Erosion is caused by wind action, river and stream processes, marine processes (sea waves), and glacial processes. The complementary actions of erosion and deposition or sedimentation operate through wind, moving water, and ice to alter existing landforms and create new landforms. Erosion will often occur after rock has been disintegrated or altered through weathering. Moving water is the most important natural agent of erosion. Sea wave erosion results primarily from the impact of waves striking the shore and the abrasive action of sand and pebbles agitated by wave action. Erosion by rivers is caused by the scouring action of the sediment-containing flowing water. Glacial erosion occurs by surface abrasion as the ice, embedded with debris, moves slowly over the ground accompanied by the plucking of rock from the surface. Wind plays a key role in arid regions as blowing sand breaks down rock and dislodges surface sand from unprotected sand dunes. Human intervention, as by the removal of natural vegetation for farming or grazing purposes, can lead to or accelerate erosion by wind and water. See also sheet erosion.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 Geol. the wearing away of the earth's surface by the action of water, wind, etc. 2 the act or an instance of eroding; the process of being eroded. Derivatives: erosional adj. erosive adj. Etymology: F érosion f. L erosio (as ERODE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Erosion E*ro"sion, n. The wearing away of the earth's surface by any natural process. The chief agent of erosion is running water; minor agents are glaciers, the wind, and waves breaking against the coast.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Erosion E*ro"sion, n. [L. erosio. See Erode.] 1. The act or operation of eroding or eating away. 2. The state of being eaten away; corrosion; canker.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Erosion is the gradual destruction and removal of rock or soil in a particular area by rivers, the sea, or the weather. As their roots are strong and penetrating, they prevent erosion. ...erosion of the river valleys. ...soil erosion. N-UNCOUNT 2. The erosion of a person's authority, rights, or confidence is the gradual destruction or removal of them. ...the erosion of confidence in world financial markets. ...an erosion of presidential power. N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n 3. The erosion of support, values, or money is a gradual decrease in its level or standard. ...the erosion of moral standards. ...a dramatic erosion of support for the program. N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Corrosion, eating away.

Moby Thesaurus

ablation, abrading, abrasion, abrasive, absorption, abstraction, assimilation, atomization, attrition, breakup, buffing, burning up, burnishing, chafe, chafing, consumption, corroding, corrosion, crumbling, decay, decomposition, decrease, decrement, deduction, degradation, deliquescence, depletion, depreciation, detrition, digestion, dilapidation, disintegration, disjunction, disorganization, dissipation, dissolution, drain, dressing, eating up, erasure, evaporation, exhaustion, expending, expenditure, filing, finishing, fraying, fretting, galling, grazing, grinding, impoverishment, incoherence, ingestion, leakage, limation, loss, polishing, purification, rasping, ravages of time, refinement, removal, resolution, rubbing away, sandblasting, sanding, scouring, scrape, scraping, scratch, scratching, scrub, scrubbing, scuff, shining, shrinkage, smoothing, spending, squandering, subduction, sublation, subtraction, taking away, use, using, using up, wastage, waste, wastefulness, wasting away, wear, wear and tear, wearing, wearing away, wearing down, weathering