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
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
That’s why Magaya has integrated Pledge—a leading carbon emissions measurement and reporting solution—into our platform.
—Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 14 Mar. 2025
In every state and county in the U.S., the Yale study found more than half of Americans support regulating carbon emissions and funding research into renewable energy.
—Grace Manthey, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2025
According to the Dirty Tackle report, professional soccer’s annual carbon emissions are 66 million tons of CO2e.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Many of these companies have seen their carbon emissions increase.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carbon
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Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 14 Mar. 2025
In every state and county in the U.S., the Yale study found more than half of Americans support regulating carbon emissions and funding research into renewable energy.
—Grace Manthey, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2025
According to the Dirty Tackle report, professional soccer’s annual carbon emissions are 66 million tons of CO2e.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Many of these companies have seen their carbon emissions increase.
—Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carbon
Cite this Entry
“Carbon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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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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