rust
The deteriorated state of iron or steel as a result of moisture and oxidation; it consists mostly of iron(III) oxide (ferric oxide) and iron(II) oxide (ferrous oxide).
Example
“The rust on my bicycle chain made cycling to work very dangerous.”
Other meanings
A similar substance based on another metal.
A reddish-brown color.
A kind of
- ferric oxide
Word history
From Old English "rust".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “rust” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.