carbon

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noun, often attributive car·bon \ˈkär-bən\

Simple Definition of carbon

: a chemical element that forms diamonds and coal and that is found in petroleum and in all living plants and animals

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

1 : a nonmetallic chiefly tetravalent element found native (as in diamond and graphite) or as a constituent of coal, petroleum, and asphalt, of limestone and other carbonates, and of organic compounds or obtained artificially in varying degrees of purity especially as carbon black, lampblack, activated carbon, charcoal, and coke — see element table
2 : a carbon rod used in an arc lamp
3 a : a sheet of carbon paper b : carbon copy

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a carbon of the document
<this new digital camera is a carbon of a well-known model costing almost twice as much>

French carbone, from Latin carbon-, carbo ember, charcoal

First Known Use: 1789

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noun car·bon \ˈkär-bən\

: a chemical element occurring as diamond and graphite, in coal and petroleum, and in plant and animal bodies

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noun , often attributive car·bon \ˈkär-bən\

: 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 element table