text: what is men the cat hod and the anode?   the anode of a diode is the positive terminal connected to the p-doped silicon.  it is where you would hook the positive voltage in order to forward bias it (or the negative voltage in order to reverse bias it).  the cathode of a diode is the negative terminal hooked to the n-doped silicon.  also, the word "cathode" is used for vacuum tubes; the cathode emits electrons and they land on the plate.  (such as in a cathode ray tube or crt)