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 nounAlex Baumhardtcarbon emissions
Oil companies … are investing in carbon capture projects as public and investor pressures mount over climate change.—Paul Takahashi
Paul Takahashi2
: a carbon rod used in an arc lamp
3
a
: a sheet of carbon paper
b
Synonyms
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
With every refresh and scroll, data centers around the world work overtime, consuming energy and increasing carbon emissions.
—Monica Sanders, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The money spent on local businesses helps the community and business owners while cutting down on the carbon emissions used to transport goods to big box stores around the country.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Nov. 2024
It was sparked by Delta’s long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and short-term goal of procuring 400 million gallons of SAF each year by the end of 2030, Frosch said.
—Ingrid Harbo, Twin Cities, 14 Nov. 2024
Every branch of the military has a climate action strategy today and plans for how to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
—Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for carbon 
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Monica Sanders, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The money spent on local businesses helps the community and business owners while cutting down on the carbon emissions used to transport goods to big box stores around the country.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Nov. 2024
It was sparked by Delta’s long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and short-term goal of procuring 400 million gallons of SAF each year by the end of 2030, Frosch said.
—Ingrid Harbo, Twin Cities, 14 Nov. 2024
Every branch of the military has a climate action strategy today and plans for how to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
—Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for carbon
Dictionary Entries Near carbon
Cite this Entry
“Carbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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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
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