plural carbons
1
a
: a nonmetallic chemical element with atomic number 6 that readily forms compounds with many other elements and is a constituent of organic compounds in all known living tissues
—often used before another noun
carbon atoms
carbon life forms
carbon fibers
see Chemical Elements Table
b
: carbon dioxide
Forests, plants and natural lands can help absorb and store excess carbon from the atmosphere.—
Alex Baumhardt
—often used before another nounAlex Baumhardtcarbon emissions
Oil companies … are investing in carbon capture projects as public and investor pressures mount over climate change.—Paul Takahashi
Paul Takahashi2
: a carbon rod used in an arc lamp
3
a
: a sheet of carbon paper
b
Synonyms
Examples of carbon in a Sentence
a carbon of the document
this new digital camera is a carbon of a well-known model costing almost twice as much
Recent Examples on the Web
All of our range is designed to be refilled, and our refill products have a 74 percent lower carbon score than their original vessels.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
This is if swift measures aren’t taken to counteract the affects of high carbon emissions and other environmental threats.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 23 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for carbon 
Hannah Coates, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
This is if swift measures aren’t taken to counteract the affects of high carbon emissions and other environmental threats.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 23 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for carbon
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carbon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near carbon
Cite this Entry
“Carbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
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Medical Definition
carbon
noun
car·bon
ˈkär-bən 
often attributive
: a nonmetallic element found native (as in diamonds and graphite) or as a constituent of coal, petroleum, asphalt, limestone, and organic compounds or obtained artificially (as in activated charcoal)
—symbol C
see Chemical Elements Table
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