electrolysis

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UK/ɪlɛkˈtɹɒləsɪs/

noun

The chemical change produced by passing an electric current through a conducting solution or a molten salt.

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Meanings

nounelectrolysis (countable and uncountable, plural electrolyses)

plural electrolyses

  1. countableuncountablechemistryThe chemical change produced by passing an electric current through a conducting solution or a molten salt.

    But current leakage in a Tube tunnel can cause electrolysis to occur in steel retaining walls, which in turn causes them to rust; it could also damage the foundations of nearby buildings.

    2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 136
  2. countableuncountableThe destruction of hair roots by means of an electric current.

Origin

Coined by English polymath William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday. From electro- + -lysis (“a loosening”). Originally of tumors, later (1909) of hair removal.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque elektrolisi
  • elektrolisichemical change
Bengali তড়িৎ বিশ্লেষণ
  • তড়িৎ বিশ্লেষণ (toṛit bisleśon)chemical change
Catalan electròlisi
  • electròlisichemical change
Chinese Mandarin 電解 /电解
  • 電解 /电解 (diànjiě)chemical change
Czech elektrolýza
  • elektrolýzachemical change
Danish elektrolyse
  • elektrolysechemical change
Esperanto elektrolizo
  • elektrolizochemical change
Finnish elektrolyysi
  • elektrolyysichemical change
French électrolyse, électrolyse
  • électrolysechemical change
  • électrolysedestruction of hair roots by electric current
German Elektrolyse
  • Elektrolysechemical change
Greek ηλεκτρόλυση, ηλεκτρόλυση
  • ηλεκτρόλυση (ilektrólysi)chemical change
  • ηλεκτρόλυση (ilektrólysi)destruction of hair roots by electric current
Hindi विद्युत अपघटन
  • विद्युत अपघटन (vidyut apaghṭan)chemical change
Icelandic rafgreining
  • rafgreiningchemical change
Italian elettrolisi
  • elettrolisichemical change
Japanese 電気分解
  • 電気分解 (tenkibunkai)chemical change
Korean 전기분해, 전해
  • 전기분해 (jeon'gibunhae)chemical change
  • 전해 (jeonhae)chemical change
Malay elektrolisis
  • elektrolisischemical change
Māori tauhohe(nga) pāhiko
  • tauhohe(nga) pāhikochemical change
Norwegian Bokmål elektrolyse
  • elektrolysechemical change
Polish elektroliza
  • elektrolizachemical change
Portuguese electrólise, eletrólise
  • electrólisechemical change
  • eletrólisechemical change
Punjabi ਬਿਜਲੀ-ਨਿਖੇੜ
  • ਬਿਜਲੀ-ਨਿਖੇੜ (bijlī-nikheṛ)chemical change
Romanian electroliză
  • electrolizăchemical change
Russian э̀лектроли́з
  • э̀лектроли́з (èlektrolíz)chemical change
Spanish electrólisis
  • electrólisischemical change
Swedish elektrolys
  • elektrolyschemical change
Tamil மின்னாற்பகுப்பு
  • மின்னாற்பகுப்பு (miṉṉāṟpakuppu)chemical change

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with electrolysis

hydrolysisproteolysispyrolysisglycolysishemolysisrhabdomyolysisautolysisosteolysiscytolysisglycogenolysisacantholysisacetolysisachromatolysisacidolysisadipolysisalcoholysisangiolysisbacteriolysiscardiolysischemolysischromatolysiscollagenolysisenterolysiserythrolysis
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Cite this entry
APA

electrolysis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/electrolysis

MLA

“electrolysis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/electrolysis. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “electrolysis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/electrolysis.

Source: electrolysis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.