carbene

American

[kahr-been] / ˈkɑr bin /

noun

the radical CH 2 and its derivatives.

carbene British

/ ˈkɑːbiːn /

noun

chem a neutral divalent free radical, such as methylene: CH 2

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of carbene

carb- + -ene

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"This is the first time anyone has been able to observe a stable carbene in water," said Vincent Lavallo, a professor of chemistry at UC Riverside and corresponding author of the paper.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

Lavallo is referring to Ronald Breslow, a Columbia University chemist who proposed in 1958 that vitamin B1 could transform into a carbene to enable key biochemical reactions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

At the center of the discovery is a carbene, a form of carbon with just six valence electrons.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

To overcome this challenge, Lavallo's team developed a protective molecular structure that surrounds the carbene.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

Researchers have now succeeded in creating a carbene that remains stable in water.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023