Eroding

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Erode \E*rode"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Eroded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Eroding}.] [L. erodere, erosum; e out + rodere to gnaw. See
     {Rodent}.]
     1. To eat into or away; to corrode; as, canker erodes the
        flesh. "The blood . . . erodes the vessels." --Wiseman.
        [1913 Webster]


  
              The smaller charge is more apt to . . . erode the
              gun.                                  --Am. Cyc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Geol. & Phys. Geog.)
        (a) To wear away; as, streams and glaciers erode the land.
        (b) To produce by erosion, or wearing away; as, glaciers
            erode U-shaped valleys.
            [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     3. to reduce or lessen as if by eroding; as, a politician's
        base of support is eroded by evidence of corruption; the
        buying power of the dollar is eroded by inflation. [fig.]
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  eroding
       n : (geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding
           something down (as by particles washing over it) [syn: {erosion},
            {eating away}, {wearing}, {wearing away}]