腐食

• Reading: ふしょく
• Romaji: fushoku
• Kanji breakdown: 腐 (fu/kusa) — rot, decay; 食 (shoku/ku) — eat, erode
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.ɕo.kɯ/

Meaning

Corrosion; erosion; decay. The gradual deterioration of a material or institution through chemical or figurative degradation.

A noun primarily used in scientific contexts for the chemical corrosion of metals and other materials by rust or acid. Figuratively, it describes the gradual moral or institutional decay of organisations or values. 腐食が進む (corrosion advances) and 腐食を防ぐ (prevent corrosion) are standard collocations. More technical than 腐敗 in the literal sense.

Examples

1. 長年の放置により、鉄橋の支柱が腐食してひどく損傷していた。 Years of neglect had caused severe corrosion damage to the iron bridge's pillars.
2. 酸性雨による石像の腐食を食い止めるため、保護膜が施された。 A protective coating was applied to halt the corrosion of the stone statue caused by acid rain.
3. 組織の腐食は外部から見えにくいが、内側から確実に進んでいく。 Institutional decay is hard to see from the outside, but it steadily advances from within.

Usage Guide

Context: engineering, environment, chemistry, social criticism

Tone: negative

Origin & History

From 腐 (fu/kusa, rot/decay) and 食 (shoku/ku, eat/erode). The combination evokes the image of decay consuming a material. Used in both technical chemistry and figurative sociological contexts since the modern era.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated