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

See Examples For:

carbide

"By using the unique carrier dynamics in silicon carbide, we can create circuits that are thousands of times more energy-efficient than conventional electronics, significantly reducing the thermal load on cryogenic systems."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 2026

The findings were published in Nature Communications in a paper titled "Cryogenic neuromorphic circuits using gate-controlled negative differential resistance in silicon carbide."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 12, 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

With additional optimization by industry, the researchers believe this form of tungsten carbide could match platinum's effectiveness without its high price or supply limitations.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 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