[ad. F. carbone (same sense), made by Lavoisier from L. carbo, carbōn-em coal, charcoal.]
1. Chem. One of the non-metallic elements, very abundant in nature, occurring uncombined in three allotropic forms—two crystalline (diamond and graphite) and one amorphous (charcoal), and in combination in carbonic acid gas, the various carbonates, and nearly all organic compounds (thence often called ‘the carbon compounds’). Carbon (symbol C) is a tetrad; atomic weight 12.
1789. Priestley, in Phil. Trans., LXXIX. 297. I will suppose that even the whole of this plumbago afforded only one of the elements of the fixed air, viz. phlogiston, or that which the French chemists call carbone.
1794. G. Adams, Nat. & Exp. Philos., I. xii. 496. Their carbonne is supposed to be the remaining part of charcoal after it has been divested of earth and fixed salts.
1810. Henry, Elem. Chem. (1826), I. 335. The diamond … was first shown by Guyton to contain carbon.
1813. Sir H. Davy, Agric. Chem., ii. (1814), 46. Carbon is considered as the pure matter of charcoal.
1856. Dove, Logic Chr. Faith, VI. iv. 352. Is man’s body mere carbon?
1862. R. H. Patterson, Ess. Hist. & Art, 8. Carbon … in its amorphous state, is charcoal; when crystallised in prisms, it becomes black and opaque graphite; and when crystallised in octohedrons, it is etherealised into the limpid and transparent diamond.
2. Electr. A pencil of fine charcoal (usually made of condensed lamp-black), used in one form of the electric light. Two of these are placed with their points close to each other, and a current of galvanic electricity transmitted through them renders the carbon points intensely luminous.
Also sometimes used for the delicate filament of charcoal in the incandescent form of the electric light.
c. 1860. Faraday, Forces Nat., Electric L. (1874), 184. The light is essentially given by the carbons.
1879. G. Prescott, Sp. Telephone, 403. The light … is soon extinguished by the burning or wasting away of the carbons.
3. attrib. a. In general sense, Or, like, or pertaining to charcoal or coal, or some form of carbon; spec. carbon printing, process, a photographic process introduced by Poitévin in 1855, producing permanent prints in black and white, the shades of which are produced by the carbon of lamp-black.
1808. J. Barlow, Columb., V. 669. When at his word the carbon clouds shall rise.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., III. 326. The perfecting of a carbon process has been the work of considerable time.
Newspaper. The majority of the works shown are permanent carbon photographs.
b. Chem., as in carbon compounds, etc., and specific names, as Carbon dioxide, CO2, systematic name of carbonic acid gas; Carbon monoxide, CO, a highly poisonous gas, also known as carbonic oxide gas; etc.
1859. Roscoe, Elem. Chem., xxvii. (1874), 289. Organic Chemistry is defined as the chemistry of the carbon compounds.
1873. Fownes’ Chem., 161. Carbon Dioxide, or Carbonic Oxide, is always produced when charcoal burns in air or oxygen gas. Ibid., 163. Carbon Monoxide is a combustible gas.
c. Electr., as in carbon light, points, poles, etc.
1871. trans. Schellen’s Spectr. Anal., 30. As soon as the current passes through the carbon-poles the electric arc is formed. Ibid., 33. To reach the carbon holders. Ibid., 74. Instead of the carbon-cylinder thick rods or wires of zink … may be employed.
1875. Hamerton, Intell. Life, VII. iii. 238. The light that plays between the wedded intelligences as the electric light burns between two carbon points.
1879. G. Prescott, Sp. Telephone, 39. C is a carbon transmitter included with battery B in the primary circuit.
