carbide

American  

[kahr-bahyd, -bid] / ˈkɑr baɪd, -bɪd /

noun

1. a compound of carbon with a more electropositive element or group.

2. calcium carbide.

3. a very hard mixture of sintered carbides of various heavy metals, especially tungsten carbide, used for cutting edges and dies.

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carbide British  

/ ˈkɑːbaɪd /

noun

1. a binary compound of carbon with a more electropositive element See also acetylide

2. See calcium carbide

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carbide Scientific  

/ kär′bīd′ /

1. A chemical compound consisting of carbon and a more electropositive element, such as calcium or tungsten. Many carbides, especially those made of carbon and a metal, are very hard and are used to make cutting tools and abrasives.

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Etymology

Origin of carbide

First recorded in 1860–65; carb- + -ide ( def. )

Example Sentences

It’s more highly enriched than the uranium that most reactors use, and is encased in silicon carbide, a material considered resistant to high heat, greatly reducing the risk of meltdowns.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Producing cemented carbide molds without defects appears achievable with this approach, which was the primary objective of the research.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

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

One promising option is tungsten carbide, an Earth-abundant material already widely used in industrial machinery, cutting tools, and chisels.

From Science Daily • Jan. 24, 2026

Donning the hat, he said with a smirk, “Big pink thing with feathers, huh? If it doesn’t come with a carbide gas light, I’m not interested.”

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool