carbon

noun

1. 1

   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.

   Carbon is the most common element in our bodies—indeed, in all living things on earth.

   Fans will pump air through the alkaline stream, which causes carbon dioxide to form solid calcium carbonate, the material from which seashells are formed, which will look like a fine sand, as well as dissolved bicarbonate.

2. 2

   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.

3. 3

   informalA 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.

4. 4

   informalA carbon copy.

   Please provide me with a carbon of your form.

   Press firmly: you are making a carbon.

5. 5

   A fossil fuel that is made of impure carbon such as coal or charcoal.

6. 6

   Soot.

   Every morning she cleaned the carbon from the lamp chimneys.

7. 7

   Soot. 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.

8. 8

   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.

9. 9

   A plate or piece of carbon used as one of the elements of a voltaic battery.

10. 10

    Variant of carbon dioxideEllipsis of carbon dioxide.

    carbon neutral

    carbon capture

    If Alberta’s reserves are a carbon bomb, this global expansion of tar sands and oil shale exploitation amounts to an escalating emissions arms race, the unlocking of a subterranean cache of weapons of mass ecological destruction.

11. 11

    Variant of carbon fiberinformalEllipsis of carbon fiber (reinforced polymer).

    carbon bike frame

verb

1. 1

   To send a carbon copy of an email message to.

   When I send it, I’ll carbon Julia so she’s aware.

Forms

plural

carbons

past tense

carboned

past participle

carboned

present participle

carboning

third person singular

carbons