Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Carbon \Car"bon\, n. (Elec.)
   A carbon rod or pencil used in an arc lamp; also, a plate or
   piece of carbon used as one of the elements of a voltaic
   battery.

Carbon \Car"bon\ (k[aum]r"b[o^]n), n. [F. carbone, fr. L. carbo
   coal; cf. Skr. [,c]r[=a] to cook.] (Chem.)
   An elementary substance, not metallic in its nature, which is
   present in all organic compounds. Atomic weight 11.97. Symbol
   C. it is combustible, and forms the base of lampblack and
   charcoal, and enters largely into mineral coals. In its pure
   crystallized state it constitutes the diamond, the hardest of
   known substances, occuring in monometric crystals like the
   octahedron, etc. Another modification is graphite, or
   blacklead, and in this it is soft, and occurs in hexagonal
   prisms or tables. When united with oxygen it forms carbon
   dioxide, commonly called carbonic acid, or carbonic oxide,
   according to the proportions of the oxygen; when united with
   hydrogen, it forms various compounds called hydrocarbons.
   Compare {Diamond}, and {Graphite}.

   {Carbon compounds}, {Compounds of carbon} (Chem.), those
      compounds consisting largely of carbon, commonly produced
      by animals and plants, and hence called organic compounds,
      though their synthesis may be effected in many cases in
      the laboratory.

            The formation of the compounds of carbon is not
            dependent upon the life process.      --I. Remsen
      

   {Carbon dioxide}, {Carbon monoxide}. (Chem.) See under
      {Carbonic}.

   {Carbon light} (Elec.), an extremely brilliant electric light
      produced by passing a galvanic current through two carbon
      points kept constantly with their apexes neary in contact.
      

   {Carbon point} (Elec.), a small cylinder or bit of gas carbon
      moved forward by clockwork so that, as it is burned away
      by the electric current, it shall constantly maintain its
      proper relation to the opposing point.

   {Carbon tissue}, paper coated with gelatine and pigment, used
      in the autotype process of photography. --Abney.

   {Gas carbon}, a compact variety of carbon obtained as an
      incrustation on the interior of gas retorts, and used for
      the manufacture of the carbon rods of pencils for the
      voltaic, arc, and for the plates of voltaic batteries,
      etc.

Source : WordNet®

carbon
     n 1: an abundant nonmetallic tetravalent element occurring in
          three allotropic forms: amorphous carbon and graphite
          and diamond; occurs in all organic compounds [syn: {C},
          {atomic number 6}]
     2: a thin paper coated on one side with a dark waxy substance
        (often containing carbon); used to transfer characters
        from the original to an under sheet of paper [syn: {carbon
        paper}]
     3: a copy made with carbon paper [syn: {carbon copy}]