tungsten carbide

American  

noun

1. a very hard, black or gray compound of tungsten and carbon, used in the manufacture of cutting and abrasion tools, dies, and wear-resistant machine parts.

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tungsten carbide British  

noun

1. a fine very hard crystalline grey powder produced by heating tungsten and carbon to a very high temperature: used in the manufacture of drill bits, dies, etc. Symbol: WC; melting pt: 2870°C

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tungsten carbide Scientific  

1. An inorganic carbon compound that forms a fine gray powder whose grains are dense and extremely hard. Tungsten carbide is used in tools, dies, wear-resistant machine parts, and abrasives. Chemical formula: WC.

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Etymology

Origin of tungsten carbide

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tungsten carbide

The roughly $600 million investment will be made with Element Six, a synthetic diamond and tungsten carbide supermaterials company that is a subsidiary of De Beers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

In a study published in ACS Catalysis, Porosoff, Perera, and chemical engineering undergraduate student Eva Ciuffetelli '27 manipulated tungsten carbide particles at the nanoscale inside chemical reactors that operate at temperatures above 700 degrees Celsius.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 2026

With additional optimization by industry, the researchers believe this form of tungsten carbide could match platinum's effectiveness without its high price or supply limitations.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 2026

The ring itself is made from “fighter jet” titanium and features a tungsten carbide coating for extra durability.

From The Verge ● Jul. 6, 2022

Each strand was a fine wire of two-phase material—the harder phase being borazon, the softer being tungsten carbide.

From Thin Edge by Randall Garrett