graphite

[graf-ahyt]

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

/ 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

graphite

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of graphite¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of graphite¹

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

Example Sentences

“You can erase graphite, you can paint over acrylic and oil,” said the Baltimore- and L.A.-based artist.

From Los Angeles Times

Ukraine is believed to have vast reserves of critical rare minerals like graphite, titanium and lithium beneath its soil.

From BBC

The site's eventual closure was sealed when hairline cracks were found in the graphite bricks which make up its nuclear cores.

From BBC

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

Local media, citing an Asturian spokesperson, reported that workers had been at the mine under a permit to extract minerals to produce graphite.

From BBC

Related Words

• soot