cathode

UK: /ˈkæθəʊd/ US: /ˈkæθoʊd/ ,(kath′ōd)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

cath•ode /ˈkæθoʊd/   n. [countable]

1. Electricity the electrode by which current leaves a battery, etc., or the negative terminal of such a cell.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cath•ode  (kath′ōd), n. 

1. Electricity the electrode or terminal by which current leaves an electrolytic cell, voltaic cell, battery, etc.
2. Electricity the positive terminal of a voltaic cell or battery.
3. Electricity, Electronics the negative terminal, electrode, or element of an electron tube or electrolytic cell.

• Greek káthodos a way down, equivalent. to kat- cat- + hodós way
• 1825–35

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cathode / ˈkæθəʊd/ noun

1. the negative electrode in an electrolytic cell; the electrode by which electrons enter a device from an external circuit
2. the negatively charged electron source in an electronic valve
3. the positive terminal of a primary cell

Compare anodeEtymology: 19th Century: from Greek kathodos a descent, from kata- down + hodos way

cathodal / kæˈθəʊd^əl/, cathodic / kæˈθɒdɪk -ˈθəʊ-/, caˈthodical adjective