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• carb
  carb

  noun

  carbohydrate.
• carb-
  carb-

  variant of carbo- before a vowel.

carb

¹ American  

[kahrb] / kɑrb /

noun

1. carbohydrate.

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verb (used without object)

1. to eat large quantities of carbohydrates before a major physical exertion in order to store up energy (usually followed byup ).

   Some marathon runners carb up on spaghetti the night before a race.

carb ² American  

[kahrb] / kɑrb /

noun

Informal.

1. a carburetor.

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carb- ³ American  

1. variant of carbo- before a vowel.

   carbazole.

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carb British  

/ kɑːb /

noun

1. short for carburettor

2. short for carbohydrate

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Usage

What does carb- mean? The combining form carbo- is used like a prefix meaning “carbon.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in chemistry. The form carbo- ultimately comes from Latin carbō, meaning “charcoal.” Yes, charcoal. The dishes carbonara and carbonade are also related to the Latin carbō. The Greek translation of Latin carbō is ánthrax, “charcoal” or “carbuncle,” which is the source of the word anthrax. Find out more at our entry for the word. What are variants of carb-?The form carb- is a variant of carbo-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for carbo-.

Etymology

Origin of carb¹

By shortening of carbohydrate

Origin of carb²

First recorded in 1950–55; by shortening

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carb carb-

It is seeing fast growth of 17% in what it calls its “balanced portfolio” of low carb, low calorie, sugar free, gluten free and no-alcohol beer brands.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026

Andy King, a lecturer in exercise science at Australia’s Swinburne University, marvels at Sawe’s carb intake in London.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

"The problem is that when you then give these mice a little bit of carbs, their carb response is completely skewed," Chaix said.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 27, 2026

We were mindful to rest up beforehand and not stay up too late and also to carb load beforehand.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

In the first case the Liatris was followed by Ferrum carb.

From New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers by Anshutz, Edward Pollock

A special shout out to the brand for moving to lighter bottles to reduce its carbon footprint, and for including nutritional information on its labels for carb- and calorie-conscious consumers.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2022

It’s also popular with carb- conscious young people, even if the health benefits of the fresh vegetables are neutralized by the soup base, which in the classic Sichuan iteration consists largely of molten beef fat.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 16, 2020

After ending a five-year marriage and shedding 10 pounds of subcutaneous fat several years back — his sun-kissed body now carb- and toxin-free — Daniel has reemerged a new, seemingly younger man.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 9, 2020

The climb takes about two days, and halfway up the mountain, you can carb- and mint tea-load in Sidi Chamharouch, a Berber settlement with a Muslim shrine.

From Washington Post