Word of the Day
7 May 2026
sacrificial anode
nounManufacturing
A piece of corrodible metal, attached to a metallic surface to be protected, that is preferentially consumed by electrolytic action
Why this one
The name is literal: zinc or magnesium sits lower on the galvanic scale, so it gives up its own metal to keep the steel intact. A spent anode is proof it worked, not proof it failed.
In use
Pull the plug on the water heater and check the sacrificial anode; if it's down to the wire, swap it before the tank starts weeping.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.Sources
- Definition sourceWiktionary