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Synonyms

graphite

American  
[graf-ahyt] / ˈgræf aɪt /

noun

  1. a very common mineral, soft native carbon, occurring in black to dark-gray foliated masses, with metallic luster and greasy feel: used for pencil leads, as a lubricant, and for making crucibles and other refractories; plumbago; black lead.

graphite British  
/ ˈɡræfaɪt, ɡrəˈfɪtɪk /

noun

  1. Also called: plumbago.  a blackish soft allotropic form of carbon in hexagonal crystalline form: used in pencils, crucibles, and electrodes, as a lubricant, as a moderator in nuclear reactors, and, in a carbon fibre form, as a tough lightweight material for sporting equipment

"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
graphite Scientific  
/ grăf′īt′ /

  1. A naturally occurring, steel-gray to black, crystalline form of carbon. The carbon atoms in graphite are strongly bonded together in sheets. Because the bonds between the sheets are weak, other atoms can easily fit between them, causing graphite to be soft and slippery to the touch. Graphite is used in pencils and paints and as a lubricant and electrode. It is also used to control chain reactions in nuclear reactors because of its ability to absorb neutrons.

Other Word Forms

  • graphitic adjective
  • nongraphitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of graphite

1790–1800; < German Graphit < Greek gráph ( ein ) to write, draw + German -it -ite 1

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.

The method works with standard graphite electrodes as well as advanced materials such as silicon or SiOx, making it relevant for both current lithium-ion batteries and next-generation designs.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

China also controls 80% of the supply of refined cobalt and 98% of refined graphite.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

After last week's meeting, the White House said China will issue export licences for rare earths, as well as gallium, germanium, antimony and graphite.

From Barron's • Nov. 5, 2025

A selection of about 100 examples in graphite and acrylic on paper comprises a survey of the prolific L.A. artist, drawn from the Huntington archive of his work.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2025

Fermi used graphite to slow down the speed- ing neutrons—he knew that neutrons would bounce off the carbon atoms that make up graphite and lose speed.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.