Carbon is a chemical element that diamonds and coal are made up of.
2. countable noun
A carbon is a sheet of carbon paper.
He inserted the paper and two carbons.
carbon in British English
(ˈkɑːbən)
noun
1.
a.
a nonmetallic element existing in the three crystalline forms: graphite, diamond, and buckminsterfullerene: occurring in carbon dioxide, coal, oil, and all organic compounds. The isotope carbon-12 has been adopted as the standard for atomic weight; carbon-14, a radioisotope with a half-life of 5700 years, is used in radiocarbon dating and as a tracer. Symbol: C; atomic no: 6; atomic wt: 12.011; valency: 2, 3, or 4; relative density: 1.8–2.1 (amorphous), 1.9–2.3 (graphite), 3.15–3.53 (diamond); sublimes at 3367±25°C; boiling pt: 4827°C
b.
(as modifier)
a carbon compound
2. short for carbon paper, carbon copy
3.
a carbon electrode used in a carbon-arc light or in carbon-arc welding
4.
a rod or plate, made of carbon, used in some types of battery
Derived forms
carbonous (ˈcarbonous)
adjective
Word origin
C18: from French carbone, from Latin carbō charcoal, dead or glowing coal
carbon in American English
(ˈkɑrbən)
noun
1.
a nonmetallic chemical element found in many inorganic compounds and all organic compounds: diamond and graphite are pure carbon; carbon is the basic element in coal, coke, charcoal, soot, etc.: symbol, C; at. no., 6: a radioactive isotope (carbon-14) is used as a tracer in chemical and biochemical research, and, because of its half-life of 5,730 years and its presence in all carbon-containing matter, it is a means of dating archaeological specimens, fossils, etc.
2.
a sheet of carbon paper
3.
carbon copy
4.
a stick of carbon used in an arc lamp
5.
a carbon plate or rod used in a battery
adjective
6.
of, like, or treated with carbon
Word origin
Fr carbone < L carbo (gen. carbonis), coal < IE base *ker-, to burn > hearth
More idioms containing
carbon
a carbon copy
Examples of 'carbon' in a sentence
carbon
Carbon monoxide is produced when fossil fuels burn without a good air supply.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This would allow them to absorb more carbon dioxide and boost yields.
The Sun (2016)
The overall carbon footprint from such imports is significantly higher than would be the case from domestically produced shale gas.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's the same way with the atmosphere and carbon dioxide.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
First, it reduces our carbon footprint.
Computing (2010)
We were rushed to hospital, where blood tests confirmed we had carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Sun (2016)
Though diesel vehicles are a health hazard, they produce less carbon dioxide than petrol vehicles.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The bubbles form due to dissolved carbon dioxide, which are produced during fermentation inside the bottles.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
By law, you must do an annual gas safety check and fit smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The scheme requires about 5,000 large organisations to report annually on their energy use and to buy carbon allowances in line with their carbon footprints.
Computing (2010)
Each section of the wing is built in carbon fibre.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We would also be spewing far more carbon into the atmosphere.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This burial of organic carbon allowed the release of oxygen into the environment.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
Will cars be banned for causing passive inhalation of carbon monoxide?
The Sun (2006)
What economic regime will apply to carbon capture?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Organic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds which contain carbon.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
Say goodbye to a carbon tax and to cap and trade.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We breathe out carbon dioxide which the blood exchanges for oxygen.
Martlew, Gillian & Silver, Shelley (ed) The Medicine Chest - your family's guide to prescription drugs (1988)
What about the carbon footprint of your shampoo?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Progress on carbon capture and storage is also vital.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
And being starved of carbon dioxide obviously compounds the problem.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
The abdomen is blown up with carbon dioxide so that space exists between your pelvic organs.
Westcott, Patsy Alternative Health Care for Women (1991)
The signal he was looking for stemmed from the fact that organic matter is enriched in lighter carbon.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
Thus there is a powerful case for a large element of carbon trading in the policy package in rich countries.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Burning biomass is supposed to be greener as new trees can be planted as replacements and to absorb carbon from the atmosphere.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The twin seats with four-point safety harnesses come in optional carbon fibre.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
What they didn't know was that it also gives off carbon monoxide.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It'll have a lighter carbon footprint and you will be supporting local industry.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The carbon tax on flights will rise to 50 per person.
The Sun (2008)
But if some of the organic carbon is taken out, some of the oxygen is surplus to requirements.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
Word lists with
carbon
chemical
In other languages
carbon
British English: carbon /ˈkɑːbn/ NOUN
Carbon is a chemical element that diamonds and coal are made of.
American English: carbon
Arabic: كَرْبُون
Brazilian Portuguese: carbono
Chinese: 碳
Croatian: ugljik
Czech: uhlík
Danish: kulstof
Dutch: koolstof
European Spanish: carbono
Finnish: hiili
French: carbone
German: Kohlenstoff
Greek: άνθρακας
Italian: carbonio
Japanese: 炭素
Korean: 탄소
Norwegian: karbon
Polish: węgiel pierwiastek
European Portuguese: carbono
Romanian: carbon
Russian: углерод
Latin American Spanish: carbono
Swedish: kol
Thai: คาร์บอน
Turkish: karbon
Ukrainian: вуглець
Vietnamese: cácbon
All related terms of 'carbon'
carbon-14
carbon arc
an electric arc produced between two carbon electrodes , formerly used as a light source
carbon copy
If you say that one person or thing is a carbon copy of another, you mean that they look or behave exactly like them.
carbon-date
to determine the age of an organic object by examining the relative proportions of the carbon isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-14
carbon sink
an area of vegetation , esp a forest , or a phytoplankton-rich sea that absorbs the carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels
carbon tax
A carbon tax is a tax on the burning of fuels such as coal, gas, and oil. Its aim is to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere .
carbon well
an area of vegetation , esp a forest, or a phytoplankton-rich sea that absorbs the carbon dioxide produced by the burning of fossil fuels
active carbon
a porous highly adsorptive form of carbon used to remove colour or impurities from liquids and gases, in the separation and extraction of chemical compounds, and in the recovery of solvents
black carbon
very fine particles of carbon emitted during the burning of fossil fuels
carbon black
a black finely divided form of amorphous carbon produced by incomplete combustion of natural gas or petroleum : used to reinforce rubber and in the manufacture of pigments and ink
carbon brush
a small block of carbon used to convey current between the stationary and moving parts of an electric generator , motor , etc
carbon credit
Carbon credits are an allowance that certain companies have, permitting them to burn a certain amount of fossil fuels .
carbon cycle
the circulation of carbon between living organisms and their surroundings. Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is synthesized by plants into plant tissue, which is ingested and metabolized by animals and converted to carbon dioxide again during respiration and decay
carbon dating
Carbon dating is a system of calculating the age of a very old object by measuring the amount of radioactive carbon it contains.
carbon fiber
a very strong, lightweight synthetic fiber used in protective clothing, spacecraft components , racing shells , etc.
carbon fibre
a black silky thread of pure carbon made by heating and stretching textile fibres and used because of its lightness and strength at high temperatures for reinforcing resins , ceramics , and metals, esp in turbine blades and for fishing rods
carbon offset
a compensatory measure made by an individual or company for carbon emissions , usually through sponsoring activities or projects which increase carbon dioxide absorption , such as tree planting
carbon paper
a thin sheet of paper coated on one side with a dark waxy pigment , often containing carbon , that is transferred by the pressure of writing or of typewriter keys onto the copying surface below
carbon ribbon
the ribbon in a typewriter which contains the ink which produces the letters on paper
carbon steel
steel whose characteristics are determined by the amount of carbon it contains
carbon tissue
a sheet of paper coated with pigmented gelatine , used in the carbon process
carbon value
an empirical measurement of the tendency of a lubricant to form carbon when in use
flame carbon
a carbon electrode containing metallic salts that colour the arc in a flame-arc light
carbon capture
the capture of atmospheric carbon dioxide , esp as a technique to prevent climate change
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a gas. It is produced by animals and people breathing out, and by chemical reactions.
carbon fixation
the process by which plants assimilate carbon from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to form metabolically active compounds
carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that is produced especially by the engines of vehicles.
carbon-neutral
A carbon neutral lifestyle , company, or activity does not cause an increase in the overall amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
carbon process
a photographic process for producing positive prints by exposing sensitized carbon tissue to light passing through a negative . Washing removes the unexposed gelatine leaving the pigmented image in the exposed insoluble gelatine
carbon trading
Carbon trading is the practice of buying and selling the right to produce carbon dioxide emissions, so that people, countries or companies who use a lot of fuel and electricity can buy rights from those that do not use so much.
a carbon copy
a person or thing that is very similar to someone or something else
activated carbon
a porous highly adsorptive form of carbon used to remove colour or impurities from liquids and gases, in the separation and extraction of chemical compounds, and in the recovery of solvents
carbon bisulfide
→ carbon disulfide
carbon bisulphide
a colourless slightly soluble volatile flammable poisonous liquid commonly having a disagreeable odour due to the presence of impurities : used as an organic solvent and in the manufacture of rayon and carbon tetrachloride . Formula: CS 2
carbon disulfide
a heavy, volatile , colorless liquid, CS 2 , highly flammable and poisonous , used as a solvent , insecticide , etc.
carbon disulphide
a colourless slightly soluble volatile flammable poisonous liquid commonly having a disagreeable odour due to the presence of impurities : used as an organic solvent and in the manufacture of rayon and carbon tetrachloride . Formula: CS 2
carbon footprint
Your carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by your activities over a particular period.
carbon microphone
a microphone in which a diaphragm , vibrated by sound waves, applies a varying pressure to a container packed with carbon granules , altering the resistance of the carbon. A current flowing through the carbon is thus modulated at the frequency of the sound waves
carbon-14 dating
a technique for determining the age of organic materials, such as wood, based on their content of the radioisotope 14 C acquired from the atmosphere when they formed part of a living plant. The 14 C decays to the nitrogen isotope 14 N with a half-life of 5730 years. Measurement of the amount of radioactive carbon remaining in the material thus gives an estimate of its age
carbon sequestration
the prevention of greenhouse gas build-up in the earth's atmosphere by methods such as planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide or pumping carbon dioxide into underground reservoirs
carbon tetrachloride
a colourless volatile nonflammable sparingly soluble liquid made from chlorine and carbon disulphide ; tetrachloromethane . It is used as a solvent , cleaning fluid, and insecticide . Formula: CCl 4
high-carbon steel
steel containing between 0.5 and 1.5 per cent carbon
low-carbon steel
steel containing between 0.04 and 0.25 per cent carbon
blind carbon (copy)
a carbon copy of a letter sent to someone other than the addressee , with no indication on the original letter that such a copy has been sent
carbon dioxide snow
solid carbon dioxide , used as a refrigerant
carbon steel piping
Carbon steel piping is pipes made of steel with carbon as the main alloying component , used for transporting fluids.
radiocarbon
Radiocarbon is a type of carbon which is radioactive, and which therefore breaks up slowly at a regular rate . Its presence in an object can be measured in order to find out how old the object is.
tetrachloromethane
a colourless volatile nonflammable sparingly soluble liquid made from chlorine and carbon disulphide ; tetrachloromethane. It is used as a solvent , cleaning fluid, and insecticide . Formula: CCl 4