carbon

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carbon^¹

/ˈkɑɹ.bən/ US
/ˈkɑːbən/ UK

Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)bən

Where it comes from

Borrowed from French carbone, coined by Antoine Lavoisier, from Latin carbō, carbōnem (“charcoal, coal”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *kerh₃- (“to burn”).

noun carbons · carbone

uncountable The chemical element (symbol C) with an atomic number of 6. It can be found in pure form for example as graphite, a black, shiny and very soft material, or diamond, a colourless, transparent, crystalline solid and the hardest known material. All life as we know it has carbon as the backbone of many of its molecules; carbon’s tetravalence gives it special importance in biochemical molecular bonds.
countable An atom of this element, in reference to a molecule containing it. A methane molecule is made up of a single carbon with four hydrogens.
countable, informal A sheet of carbon paper. He stepped back and opened his bag and took out a printed pad of D.O.A. forms and began to write over a carbon.
countable, informal A carbon copy. Please provide me with a carbon of your form.
countable, uncountable A fossil fuel that is made of impure carbon such as coal or charcoal.
countable, uncountable Soot. Every morning she cleaned the carbon from the lamp chimneys.
countable, uncountable Especially, hardened soot as a caked-on deposit. When you overhaul an engine, you need to remove the carbon from around the valve seats. The carbon buildup can be extensive.
abbreviation, ellipsis, uncountable Ellipsis of carbon dioxide carbon neutral
countable, uncountable A carbon rod or pencil used in an arc lamp. To trim an arc lamp, first remove the old carbons and carefully and thoroughly wipe the carbon rods, holders, &c. with a clean, dry rag.
countable, uncountable A plate or piece of carbon used as one of the elements of a voltaic battery.
abbreviation, countable, ellipsis, informal, uncountable Ellipsis of carbon fiber (reinforced polymer). carbon bike frame

verb carbons · carboning · carboned · carbone

Internet, transitive, uncommon To send a carbon copy of an email message to. When I send it, I’ll carbon Julia so she’s aware.
Similar: cc, copy

Carbon^²

proper noun Carbons

countable, uncountable A surname.
countable, uncountable A village in Kneehill County, Alberta, Canada.
countable, uncountable A town in Van Buren Township, Clay County, Indiana.
countable, uncountable A minor city and coal town in Douglas Township, Adams County, Iowa.
countable, uncountable An unincorporated community and coal town in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
countable, uncountable A town in Eastland County, Texas.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: c, carbon paper, carbon copy, dioxide, tetrachloride, hydrocarbon, fractionation, coal, gas, soot, charcoal, naphtha, tan, ice, biomass, anthrax

Translations

Every language

noun chemical element

Español	carbono
한국어	탄소 tanso
日本語	炭素 tanso
中文	碳 tàn
हिन्दी	प्रांगार prāṅgār, कार्बन kārban, कारबन kārban
Kiswahili	kaboni
Português	carbono
Français	carbone
Deutsch	Kohlenstoff
Italiano	carbonio
Ελληνικά	άνθρακας ánthrakas
Română	carbon
Русский	углеро́д ugleród
Tiếng Việt	cacbon
العربية	كَرْبُون karbūn
עברית	פַּחְמָן pakhmán

noun informal: a sheet of carbon paper

Español	papel carbón
Português	papel-carbono
Deutsch	Kohlepapier
Ελληνικά	καρμπόν karmpón
Русский	копи́рка kopírka
Tiếng Việt	giấy than

noun informal: carbon copy

한국어	카아본지 kaabonji
日本語	カーボンコピー kābon-kopii
Português	carbono
Français	carbone
Deutsch	Durchschlag
Ελληνικά	κοινοποίηση koinopoíisi
Română	copie la indigo

noun fossil fuel made of impure carbon

Español	carbón
日本語	炭 sumi, 石炭 sekitan
中文	煤 méi
Português	carvão
Français	charbon
Deutsch	Kohle
Ελληνικά	κάρβουνο kárvouno
Română	cărbune
Русский	у́голь úgolʹ
Tiếng Việt	than, than củi

noun ecology: carbon dioxide

Português	carbono
Deutsch	Kohlendioxid
Ελληνικά	διοξείδιο dioxeídio
Русский	углеки́слый газ uglekíslyj gaz, углекислота́ uglekislotá, двуо́кись углеро́да dvuókisʹ ugleróda
Tiếng Việt	điôxít cacbon, cacbon điôxít, thán khí, anhiđrít cacbonic, khí cacbonic

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MLA

"carbon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/carbon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

carbon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/carbon

Chicago

"carbon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/carbon.

BibTeX

@misc{carbon_2026,
  title = {carbon},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/carbon},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}