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carbene

noun car·bene \ ˈkärˌbēn \

Definition of carbene

plural -s
1 : one of the components of bitumen soluble in carbon disulfide but insoluble in carbon tetrachloride —usually used in plural — compare asphaltene
2 : any of a class of usually highly reactive chemical compounds containing an uncharged divalent carbon atom that are formed especially as intermediates in chemical reactions

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Origin and Etymology of carbene

carb- + -ene

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