Word Study
carbon
CIDE DICTIONARY
carbon, n. [F. carbone, fr. L. carbo coal; cf. Skr. to cook.].
- An elementary substance, not metallic in its nature, which is present in all organic compounds. Atomic weight 11.97. Symbol C. it is combustible, and forms the base of lampblack and charcoal, and enters largely into mineral coals. In its pure crystallized state it constitutes the diamond, the hardest of known substances, occuring in monometric crystals like the octahedron, etc. Another modification is graphite, or blacklead, and in this it is soft, and occurs in hexagonal prisms or tables. When united with oxygen it forms carbon dioxide, commonly called carbonic acid, or carbonic oxide, according to the proportions of the oxygen; when united with hydrogen, it forms various compounds called hydrocarbons. Compare Diamond, and Graphite. [1913 Webster]
- A carbon rod or pencil used in an arc lamp; also, a plate or piece of carbon used as one of the elements of a voltaic battery. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
- a sheet of carbon paper. [PJC]
- a carbon copy. [PJC]"The formation of the compounds of carbon is not dependent upon the life process."
OXFORD DICTIONARY
carbon, n.
1 a non-metallic element occurring naturally as diamond, graphite, and charcoal, and in all organic compounds.
1 a non-metallic element occurring naturally as diamond, graphite, and charcoal, and in all organic compounds.
Idiom
carbon black a fine carbon powder made by burning hydrocarbons in insufficient air. carbon copy
1 a copy made with carbon paper.
2 a person or thing identical or similar to another (is a carbon copy of his father). carbon cycle Biol. the cycle in which carbon compounds are interconverted, usu. by living organisms. carbon dating the determination of the age of an organic object from the ratio of isotopes which changes as carbon-14 decays. carbon dioxide a colourless odourless gas occurring naturally in the atmosphere and formed by respiration.
1 a copy made with carbon paper.
2 a person or thing identical or similar to another (is a carbon copy of his father). carbon cycle Biol. the cycle in which carbon compounds are interconverted, usu. by living organisms. carbon dating the determination of the age of an organic object from the ratio of isotopes which changes as carbon-14 decays. carbon dioxide a colourless odourless gas occurring naturally in the atmosphere and formed by respiration.
Usage
Chem. formula: CCl4 carbon-12 a carbon isotope of mass 12, used in calculations of atomic mass units.
Etymology
F carbone f. L carbo -onis charcoal
THESAURUS
carbon
alcohol, apograph, ash, ashes, benzine, brand, briquette, burnable, butane, calx, carbon copy, charcoal, cinder, clinker, coal, coke, combustible, coom, copy, ditto, dope, dross, duplicate, ethane, ethanol, facsimile, fiche, fireball, firing, flammable, flammable material, fuel, fuel additive, fuel dope, fume, gas, gas carbon, gasoline, heptane, hexane, inflammable, inflammable material, isooctane, jet fuel, kerosene, lava, manifold, methane, methanol, microcopy, microfiche, microform, natural gas, octane, oil, paraffin, peat, pentane, propane, propellant, recording, reduplication, reek, replica, replication, rocket fuel, rubbing, scoria, slag, smoke, smudge, smut, soot, sullage, tenor, tracing, transcript, transcription, transfer, turfROGET THESAURUS
carbon
Calefaction
N calefaction, increase of temperature, heating, calefaction, tepefaction, torrefaction, melting, fusion, liquefaction, burning, ambustion, combustion, incension, accension, concremation, cremation, scorification, cautery, cauterization, ustulation, calcination, cracking, refining, incineration, cineration, carbonization, cupellation, ignition, inflammation, adustion, flagration, deflagration, conflagration, empyrosis, incendiarism, arson, auto dafe, boiling, coction, ebullition, estuation, elixation, decoction, ebullioscope, geyser, distillation (vaporization), furnace, blanket, flannel, fur, wadding, clothing, still, refinery, fractionating column, fractionating tower, cracking tower, match, incendiary, petroleuse, cauterizer, caustic, lunar caustic, alkali, apozem, moxa, acid, aqua fortis, aqua regia, catheretic, nitric acid, nitrochloro-hydric acid, nitromuriatic acid, radioactivity, gamma rays, alpha particles, beta rays, X-rays, radiation, cosmic radiation, background radiation, radioactive isotopes, tritium, uranium, plutonium, radon, radium, sunstroke, coup de soleil, insolation, pottery, ceramics, crockery, porcelain, china, earthenware, stoneware, pot, mug, terra cotta, brick, clinker, cinder, ash, scoriae, embers, soot, slag, coke, carbon, charcoal, wood alcohol, turpentine, tea tree oil, gasoline, kerosene, naptha, fuel oil (fuel), wax, paraffin, residue, tar, inflammability, combustibility, diathermancy, transcalency, conduction, convection, radiation, radiant heat, heat conductivity, conductivity, thermal expansion, coefficient of expansion, heated, molten, sodden, r_echauff_e, heating, adust, inflammable, combustible, diathermal, diathermanous, burnt, volcanic, radioactive.Fuel
N fuel, firing, combustible, coal, wallsend, anthracite, culm, coke, carbon, charcoal, bituminous coal, tar shale, turf, peat, firewood, bobbing, faggot, log, cinder, ingle, tinder, touchwood, sulphur, brimstone, incense, port-fire, fire-barrel, fireball, brand, amadou, bavin, blind coal, glance coal, German tinder, pyrotechnic sponge, punk, smudge, solid fueled rocket, wax, paraffin wax, paraffin oil, lamp oil, whale oil, oil, petroleum, gasoline, high octane gasoline, nitromethane, petrol, gas, juice, gasohol, alcohol, ethanol, methanol, fuel oil, kerosene, jet fuel, heating oil, number 2 oil, number 4 oil, naphtha, rocket fuel, high specific impulse fuel, liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, lox, natural gas, synthetic gas, synthesis gas, propane, butane, hydrogen, brand, torch, fuse, wick, spill, match, light, lucifer, congreve, vesuvian, vesta, fusee, locofoco, linstock, candle, oil, carbonaceous, combustible, inflammable, high octane, high specific impulse, heat of combustion.For further exploring for "carbon" in Webster Dictionary Online
