noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈkæθ.oʊd/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
South-Asia:/kæt̪hoɖ/
CMU ARPABET:K AE1 TH OW2 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
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).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a negatively charged electrode that is the source of electrons entering an electrical device
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: anode
Broader terms: electrode
Narrower terms: cold cathode, photocathode
6
noun
Meaning 6
the positively charged terminal of a voltaic cell or storage battery that supplies current
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: anode
Broader terms: terminal, terminus, depot
History
Etymology
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.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
կաթոդ
(katʻod)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Basque:
katodo
— electrode through which current flows outward
Belarusian:
като́д
(katód)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Bulgarian:
като́д
(katód)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Catalan:
càtode
— electrode through which current flows outward
Chinese Mandarin:
陰極 /阴极
(yīnjí)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Chinese Mandarin:
正極 /正极
(zhèngjí)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Czech:
katoda
— electrode through which current flows outward
Dutch:
kathode
— electrode through which current flows outward
Esperanto:
katodo
— electrode through which current flows outward
Estonian:
katood
— electrode through which current flows outward
Finnish:
katodi
— electrode through which current flows outward
French:
cathode
— electrode through which current flows outward
Galician:
cátodo
— electrode through which current flows outward
German:
Kathode
— electrode through which current flows outward
German:
Minuspol
— electrode through which current flows outward
Gujarati:
ઋણાગ્ર
(ŕṇāgra)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Hawaiian:
ʻūholo uila ʻine
— electrode through which current flows outward
Hindi:
ऋणाग्र
(ŕṇāgra)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Hindi:
कैथोड
(kaithoḍ)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Hungarian:
katód
— electrode through which current flows outward
Icelandic:
bakskaut
— electrode through which current flows outward
Icelandic:
mínusskaut
— electrode through which current flows outward
Icelandic:
neiskaut
— electrode through which current flows outward
Icelandic:
neikvætt rafskaut
— electrode through which current flows outward
Icelandic:
katóða
— electrode through which current flows outward
Indonesian:
katode
— electrode through which current flows outward
Italian:
catodo
— electrode through which current flows outward
Japanese:
陰極
(inkyoku)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Japanese:
カソード
(kasōdo)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Khmer:
កាតូដ
(kaatout)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Khmer:
កាតូត
(kaatout)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Korean:
음극
(eumgeuk)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Korean:
캐소드
(kaesodeu)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Latvian:
katods
— electrode through which current flows outward
Lithuanian:
katodas
— electrode through which current flows outward
Macedonian:
като́да
(katóda)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Malay:
katod
— electrode through which current flows outward
Māori:
pitoiho
— electrode through which current flows outward
Māori:
pito hopuirahiko
— electrode through which current flows outward
Marathi:
ऋणाग्र
(ŕṇāgra)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Persian:
کاتد
(kâtod)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Polish:
katoda
— electrode through which current flows outward
Portuguese:
cátodo
— electrode through which current flows outward
Portuguese:
catodo
— electrode through which current flows outward
Portuguese:
catódio
— electrode through which current flows outward
Russian:
като́д
(katód)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Spanish:
cátodo
— electrode through which current flows outward
Swahili:
kathodi
— electrode through which current flows outward
Swedish:
katod
— electrode through which current flows outward
Tagalog:
balindas
— electrode through which current flows outward
Ukrainian:
като́д
(katód)
— electrode through which current flows outward
Vietnamese:
âm cực
— electrode through which current flows outward
