carbon
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.
Example
“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.”
Other meanings
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.”
A fossil fuel that is made of impure carbon such as coal or charcoal.
A kind of
- nonmetal
Kinds of carbon
- radiocarbon
- charcoal
- soot
- activated carbon
- graphite
- diamond
Example sentences
Word history
From Latin "carbō" (carbō, carbōnem).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “carbon” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.