tungsten carbide

American  

noun

1. a very hard, black or gray compound of tungsten and carbon, used in the manufacture of cutting and abrasion tools, dies, and wear-resistant machine parts.

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tungsten carbide British  

noun

1. a fine very hard crystalline grey powder produced by heating tungsten and carbon to a very high temperature: used in the manufacture of drill bits, dies, etc. Symbol: WC; melting pt: 2870°C

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tungsten carbide Scientific  

1. An inorganic carbon compound that forms a fine gray powder whose grains are dense and extremely hard. Tungsten carbide is used in tools, dies, wear-resistant machine parts, and abrasives. Chemical formula: WC.

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Etymology

Origin of tungsten carbide

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tungsten carbide

This distinction is important because completely melting tungsten carbide can alter its internal structure and reduce the properties that make it valuable.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 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

The Ultrahuman Ring comes in four colors and is made from titanium with a tungsten carbide coating.

From The Verge ● Jul. 6, 2022

The difference is that, in this case, the stronger fibers are borazon—boron nitride formed under tremendous pressure—while the softer matrix is composed of tungsten carbide.

From Thin Edge by Randall Garrett