Electr. [a. Gr. κατιόν (a thing) going down, neut. of pr. pple. of κατ-ιέναι to go down, f. κατά down + ἰ- go.] The name given by Faraday to an electro-positive element, which in electro-chemical decompositions is evolved at the cathode. Opposed to anion.
1834. Faraday, Res. Electr. (1839), § 655. I require a term to express those bodies which can pass to the electrodes, or, as they are usually called, the poles…. I propose to distinguish such bodies by calling those anions which go to the anode of the decomposing body; and those passing to the cathode, cations.
1839. Grove, in Corr. Phys. Forces, 238. The cations of the electrolytes.
1885. Watson & Burbury, Math. Th. Electr. & Magn., I. 231.
