The negative electrode in an electrical device through which current flows out of a polarized electrical device.
Coined in 1834 by scientist Michael Faraday from Greek kata- (down) + hodos (way), literally meaning 'way down.' Faraday created this term to describe the electrode where current flows downward or outward.
Faraday's naming of cathode reflects the beautiful precision of scientific language - he needed to distinguish electrical flow directions and created a word that literally means 'downward path.' The fact that we still use his 19th-century terminology in modern electronics shows how well-chosen scientific terms can endure across technological revolutions.
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