carbide

American  

[kahr-bahyd, -bid] / ˈkɑr baɪd, -bɪd /

noun

1. a compound of carbon with a more electropositive element or group.

2. calcium carbide.

3. a very hard mixture of sintered carbides of various heavy metals, especially tungsten carbide, used for cutting edges and dies.

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carbide British  

/ ˈkɑːbaɪd /

noun

1. a binary compound of carbon with a more electropositive element See also acetylide

2. See calcium carbide

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carbide Scientific  

/ kär′bīd′ /

1. A chemical compound consisting of carbon and a more electropositive element, such as calcium or tungsten. Many carbides, especially those made of carbon and a metal, are very hard and are used to make cutting tools and abrasives.

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Etymology

Origin of carbide

First recorded in 1860–65; carb- + -ide ( def. )

Example Sentences

For most of those roughly 20 years, the bank was headquartered in the middle of Midtown at the Union Carbide Building, which was built in 1960 for a workforce of about 3,500.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

By comparison, one of the largest ethylene oxide emitters in the country, the Union Carbide plant in Louisiana, emitted 6,894 lbs. in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2025

The waste, transported from the now-defunct Union Carbide factory in the city of Bhopal - site of the 1984 gas tragedy that killed thousands - has sparked fears among locals.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2025

She was also prominently involved in protests for victims of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the 1984 Union Carbide leak.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2024

Sidley & Austin was representing the chemical conglomerate Union Carbide in an antitrust trial involving the sale of one of its business holdings.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama