sacrificial anode


noun

Chemistry. an anode that is attached to a metal object subject to electrolysis and is decomposed instead of the object.

Origin of sacrificial anode

First recorded in 1975–80

British Dictionary definitions for sacrificial anode

sacrificial anode

noun

metallurgy an electropositive metal, such as zinc, that protects a more important electronegative part by corroding when attacked by electrolytic action