graphite

[ graf-ahyt ]
/ ˈgræf aɪt /

noun

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.

Origin of graphite

1790–1800; < German Graphit < Greek gráph(ein) to write, draw + German -it -ite1

OTHER WORDS FROM graphite

gra·phit·ic [gruh-fit-ik] /grəˈfɪt ɪk/, adjective non·gra·phit·ic, adjective

Words nearby graphite

graphic novel, graphicacy, graphical user interface, graphics, graphics adapter, graphite, graphite cloth, graphitize, grapho-, graphology, graphomotor

Example sentences from the Web for graphitic

  • The silica of the compound has been driven off, leaving a shell of graphitic substance formed from the coke.

    Electricity and Magnetism |Elisha Gray

British Dictionary definitions for graphitic

graphite
/ (ˈɡræfaɪt) /

noun

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 Also called: plumbago

Derived forms of graphite

graphitic (ɡrəˈfɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for graphite

C18: from German Graphit; from Greek graphein to write + -ite 1

Scientific definitions for graphitic

graphite
[ grăf′īt′ ]

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.