carbon
/ˈkɑːbən/noun
1
- mass noun the chemical element of atomic number 6, a non-metal which has two main forms (diamond and graphite) and which also occurs in impure form in charcoal, soot, and coal. (Symbol: C)（化学元素）碳（符号： C）。
1.1
- usu. as modifier carbon fibre碳纤维：
a bike with a carbon frame.
车身为碳纤维的自行车。
1.2
- count noun Chemistry an atom of this element【化】碳原子。
1.3
- count noun a rod of carbon in an arc lamp（弧光灯的）炭精棒。
1.4
- count noun a piece of carbon paper or a carbon copy复写纸; 副本。
2
- carbon dioxide or other gaseous carbon compounds released into the atmosphere, associated with climate change（排放到大气层的）二氧化碳（或其他气态碳化合物）：
the level of carbon in the atmosphere has been consistently rising
大气层中二氧化碳的含量一直在增加
as modifier fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions continued to rise.矿物燃料的消耗和碳排放继续在增加。
Compounds of carbon (organic compounds) form the physical basis of all living organisms. Carbon atoms are able to link with each other and with other atoms to form chains and rings, and an infinite variety of carbon compounds exist.
WORD TRENDS
No longer just a simple noun for a chemical element， carbon is now most commonly used as shorthand for carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds released into the atmosphere and associated with climate change. It was first used in this sense in 1977， in the phrase carbon emissions, which is still the second most common compound noun containing carbon in the Oxford English Corpus， after carbon dioxide itself. Other common compounds reflect concerns over the impact of humans on the environment， with carbon tax， carbon footprint， carbon credit， and carbon trading all frequently seen. Concern is also shifting from limiting the release of carbon to managing its levels in the atmosphere， as seen from the verbs regularly paired with the word - store is now twice as common as release, with sequester， absorb， and capture all close behind.
派生词
carbonless
adjective词源
late 18th cent.: from French carbone, from Latin carbo, carbon- 'coal, charcoal'.