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

The team successfully applied this method to six types of MXenes, including two forms of titanium carbide, as well as niobium carbide, vanadium carbide, tantalum carbide, and titanium carbonitride.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

In this process, powders of WC and Co are compressed under high pressure and heated in sintering machines to form solid cemented carbide.

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

Very soon we left the electric lights behind and could see only as far ahead of us as our kapo’s carbide headlamp.

From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz