The verb corrode means to weaken or eradicate slowly.
Synonyms are deteriorate, erode, rot, or rust.
The word origins from Old French (14th century) corroder meaning “to eat away, diminish or disintegrate (something) by gradually separating small bits of it”,and directly from Latin corrodere meaning “to gnaw to bits, wear away”. It comes from assimilated form of com-, here probably an intensive prefix (see com-), plus rodere meaning “to gnaw”.
In a salty atmosphere, steel tends to corrode quickly.
Hard water can corrode metal, including the water pipes.
Silver tends to corrode when it makes contact with the sulfur in the body.