1
: a soft black lustrous form of carbon that conducts electricity and is used in lead pencils and electrolytic anodes, as a lubricant, and as a moderator in nuclear reactors
2
: a composite material in which carbon fibers are the reinforcing material
Examples of graphite in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Large quantities of high-quality vein graphite have been shipped for testing to confirm its suitability as anode material.
—
Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Fiberglass was top technology in the 1970s when it was introduced but has largely given way to graphite.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024
Those three buildings appear over and over through the decades, in black on blue, lavender, orange, yellow or white; in white on black; surrounded by smudgy fingerprints or plumes of smoke; naked in fields of color; rendered in oil, ink, graphite or pastel.
—Will Heinrich, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Then a high-frequency current is run through a copper coil around the quartz tube, which heats the graphite crucible through induction.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Jan. 2024
Some of the illustrations appear to be photographs of small clay sculptures alongside elements composed in graphite and maybe paint—but the materials aren’t specified.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
The researchers then added palladium and graphite layers onto the chip.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2024
The new restrictions are not a wholesale ban on graphite exports.
—Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
Construction Modern rods are made of fiberglass, graphite, or a combination of the two.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024
Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Fiberglass was top technology in the 1970s when it was introduced but has largely given way to graphite.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024
Those three buildings appear over and over through the decades, in black on blue, lavender, orange, yellow or white; in white on black; surrounded by smudgy fingerprints or plumes of smoke; naked in fields of color; rendered in oil, ink, graphite or pastel.
—Will Heinrich, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Then a high-frequency current is run through a copper coil around the quartz tube, which heats the graphite crucible through induction.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Jan. 2024
Some of the illustrations appear to be photographs of small clay sculptures alongside elements composed in graphite and maybe paint—but the materials aren’t specified.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
The researchers then added palladium and graphite layers onto the chip.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2024
The new restrictions are not a wholesale ban on graphite exports.
—Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
Construction Modern rods are made of fiberglass, graphite, or a combination of the two.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'graphite.' 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 graphite
Cite this Entry
“Graphite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graphite. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
graphite
noun
graph·ite
ˈgraf-ˌīt 
: a soft shiny black carbon that is used in making lead pencils and as a dry lubricant
Medical Definition
graphite
noun
graph·ite
ˈgraf-ˌīt
: carbon of a soft black lustrous form that conducts electricity and is used in lead pencils and electrolytic anodes, as a lubricant, and as a moderator in nuclear reactors
called also plumbago
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