carbon

car-bon · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A chemical element (symbol C, atomic number 6) that forms the basis of all organic compounds.

  2. 2.

    Carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, especially as a pollutant.

  3. 3.

    A rod of carbon used in an arc lamp or electrical device.

  4. 4.

    A piece of carbon paper for making copies.

Forms

plural: carbons

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    carbon footprint — the amount of carbon dioxide produced by activities
  • •
    carbon neutral — achieving net zero carbon emissions
  • •
    carbon copy — an exact duplicate; originally a copy made with carbon paper
  • •
    carbon dating — a method of determining age using carbon-14
  • •
    carbon fiber — strong lightweight material made from carbon

Related words

See also: dioxide, element, environment, pollution
Synonyms: element

Etymology

From French "carbone," from Latin "carbo" (genitive "carbonis") meaning coal or charcoal. The element was named by Antoine Lavoisier in 1789.