carbon

noun

car·​bon ˈkär-bən 

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 noun

carbon emissions

Oil companies … are investing in carbon capture projects as public and investor pressures mount over climate change.

—Paul Takahashi

2

: a carbon rod used in an arc lamp

3

a

: a sheet of carbon paper

b

: carbon copy

Synonyms of carbon

• twin
• image
• replica
• clone
• picture
• duplicate
• portrait
• double

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

Air travel accounts for roughly 20% of the entire global tourism carbon footprint, and one of the aviation industry’s best levers for reducing carbon emissions is the use of SAF. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

The power sector is the second-largest contributor of carbon emissions. — Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026

This fuel contains small uranium particles surrounded by layers of ceramic and carbon. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026

Amazon has set a goal to be net-zero carbon by 2040, but Hurst said the firm will likely see emissions rise in the near term as the data center buildout heats up. — Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing carbon

• activated carbon
• blind carbon copy
• carbon black
• carbon capture
• carbon capture and storage
• carbon copy
• carbon cycle
• carbon dating
• carbon dioxide
• carbon disulfide
• carbon fiber
• carbon footprint
• carbon monoxide
• carbon paper
• carbon sequestration
• carbon sink
• carbon steel
• carbon tetrachloride

Rhymes for carbon

• fluorocarbon
• hydrocarbon
• radiocarbon

Kids Definition

carbon

noun

car·​bon ˈkär-bən 

1

: a nonmetallic element found more or less pure in nature (as in diamond and graphite) or as a part of coal and petroleum and of the bodies of living things or obtained artificially see element

2

a

: a sheet of carbon paper

b

: carbon copy sense 1

Medical Definition

carbon

noun

car·​bon ˈkär-bən 

: 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

—symbol C see Chemical Elements Table