Graphite

//ˈɡɹæfaɪt// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An allotrope of carbon, consisting of planes of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal arrays with the planes stacked loosely, that is used as a dry lubricant, in "lead" pencils, and as a moderator in some nuclear reactors. countable, uncountable

    "Technical terms like ferrite, perlite, graphite, and hardenite were bandied to and fro, and when Paget glibly brought out such a rare exotic as ferro-molybdenum, Benson forgot that he was a master ship-builder, […]"

  2. 2
    used as a lubricant and as a moderator in nuclear reactors wordnet
  3. 3
    Graphite-reinforced plastic, a composite plastic made with graphite fibers noted for lightweight strength and stiffness. countable, uncountable

    "Modern tennis racquets are made of graphite, fibreglass and other man-made materials."

  4. 4
    A grey colour, resembling graphite or the marks made with a graphite pencil. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To apply graphite to. transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
black leadplumbagoalabasterasphaltbuckyballcarbon fiber

Antonyms

All antonyms
lead

Example

More examples

"The "lead" of the pencil is actually a mixture of graphite, clay and wax with a binder that seals the lead in the wooden shaft."

Etymology

Borrowed from German Graphit (A. G. Werner 1789), from Ancient Greek γράφω (gráphō, “I write”).

Related phrases

graphite bombgraphite fluoridegrey powderin pencilin pencilspencil leadpencil rock

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.