erosion

[ih-roh-zhuh n] /ɪˈroʊ ʒən/
noun
1.
the act or state of eroding; state of being eroded.
2.
the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, etc.
Origin
1535-45; < Latin ērōsiōn- (stem of ērōsiō). See erose, -ion
Related forms
erosional, adjective
antierosion, adjective
Examples from the web for erosion
  • They protect the beaches from erosion during tropical storms.
  • The creation of a steep slope would hasten erosion.
  • The erosion on the island is unbelievable.
  • Most of the sediment making up a beach is supplied by rivers or by the erosion of highlands adjacent to the coast.
  • This island once towered above the sea but erosion has taken its toll.
  • They grew tobacco, which depleted the soil and caused erosion.
  • These changes contributed to the erosion of riverbanks and a decline in wetland species.
  • These features must have been obscured by erosion and sedimentation.
  • The crazy looking legs surrounding the impact are mostly due to erosion of different rock layers.
  • Most people today seem at least vaguely aware of the erosion of their natural environment, if not the severity of its rate.
British Dictionary definitions for erosion

erosion

/ɪˈrəʊʒən/
noun
1.
the wearing away of rocks and other deposits on the earth's surface by the action of water, ice, wind, etc
2.
the act or process of eroding or the state of being eroded
Derived Forms
erosive, erosional, adjective
Word Origin and History for erosion
n.

1540s, from Middle French erosion (16c.), from Latin erosionem (nominative erosio) "a gnawing away," noun of action from past participle stem of erodere "gnaw away," from ex- "away" (see ex-) + rodere "gnaw" (see rodent).

erosion in Medicine

erosion e·ro·sion (ĭ-rō'zhən)
n.

  1. Superficial destruction of a surface by friction, pressure, ulceration, or trauma.

  2. The wearing away of a tooth by chemical or abrasive action. Also called odontolysis.

erosion in Science
erosion
  (ĭ-rō'zhən)   
The gradual wearing away of land surface materials, especially rocks, sediments, and soils, by the action of water, wind, or a glacier. Usually erosion also involves the transport of eroded material from one place to another, as from the top of a mountain to an adjacent valley, or from the upstream portion of a river to the downstream portion.
erosion in Culture

erosion definition


A type of weathering in which surface soil and rock are worn away through the action of glaciers, water, and wind.