carb

¹

[ kahrb ]

noun

1. carbohydrate.

verb (used without object)

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

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

carb

²

[ kahrb ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a carburetor.

carb-

³

1. variant of carbo- before a vowel:

   carbazole.

carb

/ kɑːb /

noun

1. See carburettor
   short for carburettor
2. See carbohydrate
   short for carbohydrate

Word History and Origins

Origin of carb¹

By shortening of carbohydrate

Origin of carb²

First recorded in 1950–55; by shortening

Example Sentences

In addition, low fat/high carb diets lower protective “good” cholesterol and raise insulin.

From The Daily Beast

To be sure, the “truth” may be that a low-carb/high-fat diet is not the answer for every patient.

From The Daily Beast

But for the over-worked, guideline-driven doc-in-a-box, low-carb diets still have a daunting public relations battle to overcome.

From The Daily Beast

The 10 Nutrients Athletes Need Most Carb Cycling for Weight Loss: Does It Work?

From The Daily Beast

This protein and carb combo will help with keep you satisfied, full, and give you lasting energy, says Zied.

From The Daily Beast

Bay rum two pints, alcohol one pint, castor oil one ounce, carb.

From Project Gutenberg

Bay rum, three quarts; tincture cantharides (officinal), one 514 and a half ounces; carb.

From Project Gutenberg

Collation and comparison of observations upon the American Carb.

From Project Gutenberg

Mémoire sur les Accidents que développe chez les ouvrières en caoutchouc du sulfure de carb.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use carb-

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-.

Examples of -carb

One example of a scientific term that features carb- is carbide, “a compound of carbon with a more electropositive element or group.”

The form carb- means “carbon,” and the -ide portion of the word is a suffix used to name chemical compounds. Carbide literally means “carbon compound.”

What are some words that use the combining form carb-?

• carbamate
• carbamic
• carbene
• carbenicillin
• carboxyl

What are some other forms that carb– may be commonly confused with?

• carboxy-
• carcino-
• cardi-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters carb-, such as carbeen and carbine, is necessarily using the combining form carb- to denote “carbon.” Learn why carbine means “rifle” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The suffix -ene is used to form names of chemical compounds. With that in mind, what is carbene?