graphite C1 Topic:Materials & Substances US /ˈɡɹæfaɪt/ UK /ˈɡræfaɪt/ See IPA manual Freq #38664 Meanings 1 noun a soft, dark allotrope of carbon whose atoms form loosely stacked hexagonal layers, used in pencils, lubricants, electrodes, and some nuclear reactors Graphite blocks slowed the neutrons inside the first nuclear pile. 2 noun a strong lightweight composite material reinforced with carbon fibers The bicycle frame is made from graphite reinforced with resin. 3 noun a dark gray color resembling pencil marks The jacket is available in black, navy, and graphite. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a soft, dark allotrope of... black leadplumbago 2 noun · a strong lightweight... graphite compositecarbon-fiber composite 3 noun · a dark gray color... graphite gray Word family Derived forms graphenegraphiticgraphitizegraphitization Related forms carbondiamondgraphenepencil Etymology Borrowed from German Graphit, coined in 1789 from Greek graphein ("to write") + the mineral suffix -ite. The name refers to graphite's long use as a writing material. Topics Materials & Substances External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # graphite **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈɡɹæfaɪt/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈɡræfaɪt/ **Frequency rank:** 38664 ## Meanings 1. a soft, dark allotrope of carbon whose atoms form loosely stacked hexagonal layers, used in pencils, lubricants, electrodes, and some nuclear reactors 2. a strong lightweight composite material reinforced with carbon fibers 3. a dark gray color resembling pencil marks ## Examples - Graphite blocks slowed the neutrons inside the first nuclear pile. - The bicycle frame is made from graphite reinforced with resin. - The jacket is available in black, navy, and graphite. ## Synonyms - black lead - plumbago ## Derived Forms - graphene - graphitic - graphitize - graphitization ## Related Forms - carbon - diamond - graphene - pencil ## Etymology Borrowed from German Graphit, coined in 1789 from Greek graphein ("to write") + the mineral suffix -ite. The name refers to graphite's long use as a writing material. ## Topics - Materials & Substances markdown