erode

Everyday

1. To erode means to wear away slowly, as wind, water or ice rub away rock and soil. tree →
2. To erode can mean to make something slowly weaker or smaller, like trust or confidence being eroded. tree →

In the lessons

A key geography and science word: rivers erode valleys, waves erode cliffs, rain erodes soil. In everyday talk and news it means something is getting slowly weaker. Phrases: «erode away», «be eroded by the sea», «erode trust».

Examples

• The waves erode the cliffs a little every year. tree →
• Rivers erode rock and carry it downstream. tree →
• Wind can erode sand dunes. tree →
• Trees help stop the soil from eroding. tree →
• The old statue's face had eroded in the rain. tree →
• Telling lies can erode your friends' trust. tree →
• Over thousands of years the river eroded a deep canyon. tree →
• Soil erosion happens when plants are cut down. tree →

Note

Regular verb: eroded, eroding. Noun: erosion. Erosion is moving bits away; weathering is breaking rock where it stands; the two often happen together. Erosion is slow, so «erode» usually suggests a long time.