Etymology

cathode

C3A1T1H4O1D2E1

Today it means: 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 can have either a negative or a positive voltage with respect to anode of the same polarized device (depending on whether the device is a load or a source, respectively). Full definition →

Ancient Greek κατα-
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromκατα-“down”
  2. English todaycathode

From Ancient Greek κατα- (kata-, “down”) and ὁδός (hodós, “journey, way”), equivalent to Ancient Greek κάθοδος (káthodos, “way down, descent”). Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday, who introduced it later that year. By surface analysis, cath- (alternative form of cata-) + -ode.

Words from the same roots

Ancient Greekκατα- all →

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Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.