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car·bene | \ ˈkärˌbēn \
plural -s
Definition of carbene
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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