The story behind “erosion”, from its beginnings to its meaning today. #words #vocabulary
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A WORD’S STORY: Where did “erosion” come from?. “erosion” means: Meaning: (geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it), also figuratively. Swipe to see how it got that meaning.
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WHERE IT BEGAN: First, the origin of “erosion”. Erosion is built on Latin erodere, to eat or gnaw away. Erodere joined ex-, away or out, in its assimilated form e-, to rodere, to gnaw. Rodere is also the source of rodent, literally an animal characterized by gnawing.
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THE CONNECTION: Here’s the connection. The word was used for material being eaten away, including bodily tissue, before geology made it a central term for earth material worn loose and transported. Figurative erosion treats trust, rights, or value as material gradually gnawed away rather than destroyed in one blow.
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NOW YOU KNOW: “erosion”. Say it: /əˈɹoʊʒən/ Meaning: (geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it), also figuratively. Try five words in the free daily game: lexifour.com. Follow for another word story.