Carbon

How to spell carbon

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce carbon

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does carbon mean?

1. nounThe non-metallic chemical element (symbol C) that forms the basis of all known life and occurs as diamond, graphite, and charcoal.

Carbon in a sentence

• Every living organism on the planet is built around carbon.

• Diamond and graphite are both pure forms of carbon.

Where does carbon come from?

Language of origin: Latin

Carbon comes from the Latin word carbo, which meant 'coal' or 'glowing charcoal', the kind of blackened wood left after a fire. The French chemist Antoine Lavoisier adapted this into the French 'carbone' in the late 1700s when he was systematically naming the chemical elements, and English took up the form 'carbon' shortly after, around 1789. The choice of root was fitting, since charcoal is one of the most familiar everyday forms of the element. The same Latin carbo lies behind 'carbuncle', once used for a glowing red gemstone, and behind the cooking term 'carbonara' by way of charcoal-burners. Because the spelling follows the Latin straightforwardly with no silent letters, carbon is far easier to write than many element names, though the unstressed second syllable can tempt a careless 'carbun'.

How the word is built

• carb- (from Latin carbo: coal, charcoal)
• -on (chemical element/noun ending)