'electrode' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'elektron' and the element '-hodos' (via Greek suffix '-ode'), where 'elektron' meant 'amber' and 'hodos' meant 'way' or 'path'.

'electrode' was formed in modern scientific usage in the 19th century from New Latin/French formations (e.g. New Latin 'electrodus' / French 'électrode') combining Greek roots, and it entered English in this form as 'electrode'.

Initially, it referred to a 'path/way for electricity' (derived from 'amber' as the ancient source of observed static electricity); over time it came to mean specifically a conductor serving as a contact point for electrical current, which is the current primary meaning.