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

For most of those roughly 20 years, the bank was headquartered in the middle of Midtown at the Union Carbide Building, which was built in 1960 for a workforce of about 3,500.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

Housed in the 1929 Art Deco Carbide & Carbon Building, the hotel’s dark stone and gold-trim exterior is instantly striking.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2025

By comparison, one of the largest ethylene oxide emitters in the country, the Union Carbide plant in Louisiana, emitted 6,894 lbs. in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2025

They said that a small amount of waste from the Carbide factory was destroyed at the plant on a trial basis in 2015, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2025

Sidley & Austin was representing the chemical conglomerate Union Carbide in an antitrust trial involving the sale of one of its business holdings.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama