carb

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-.

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.

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