carbon

UK/ˈkɑːbən/US/ˈkɑɹ.bən/

nounB2Common in everyday speech and writing · #3,593 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: carbons

Carbon is the element every living thing is built around. Carbon dioxide, carbon footprint, carbon dating.

It bonds with itself in four directions, which is why it can build chains and rings of any length — no other common element does this, and that is why life is carbon-based. Diamond and graphite are both pure carbon arranged differently. Note that the Latin carbo means charcoal.

Definitions of carbon

1nouncarbonThe chemical element that living things are built around.B2
“Plants take in carbon from the air to build their leaves and stems.”

carbon is an element.

Where it comes from

French carbone was coined by Lavoisier from Latin carbo, charcoal. Carbonate and char come from the same burning.

French
carbone
English, today
carbon

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

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Chemistry & Elements

Practise this word

carbon in the wild

In the air, carbon dioxide is transparent to visible light but absorbs infrared radiation, acting as a greenhouse gas.
Carbon dioxide
Numerous environmental and biological sources generate carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide
Organic compounds are a subclass of chemical compounds of carbon.
Organic compound
Because of carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known.
Organic compound
The carbon cycle comprises a sequence of events that are key to making Earth capable of sustaining life.
Carbon cycle

1 / 3

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the carbone family

carbon

carbon — used about once every 635 pages · #3,593 · point at the bar for the others

← Vocabulary

carbon

UK/ˈkɑːbən/US/ˈkɑɹ.bən/

nounB2Common in everyday speech and writing · #3,593 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: carbons

Carbon is the element every living thing is built around. Carbon dioxide, carbon footprint, carbon dating.

Definitions of carbon

1nouncarbonThe chemical element that living things are built around.B2
“Plants take in carbon from the air to build their leaves and stems.”

carbon is an element.

Where it comes from

French carbone was coined by Lavoisier from Latin carbo, charcoal. Carbonate and char come from the same burning.

French
carbone
English, today
carbon

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

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Chemistry & Elements

Practise this word

carbon in the wild

In the air, carbon dioxide is transparent to visible light but absorbs infrared radiation, acting as a greenhouse gas.
Carbon dioxide
Numerous environmental and biological sources generate carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide
Organic compounds are a subclass of chemical compounds of carbon.
Organic compound
Because of carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known.
Organic compound
The carbon cycle comprises a sequence of events that are key to making Earth capable of sustaining life.
Carbon cycle

1 / 3

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the carbone family

carbon

carbon — used about once every 635 pages · #3,593 · point at the bar for the others