Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
carbonite

carbonite

3 9.9
A made-up substance from stories used to freeze and encase people or things
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑːrbənaɪt/
  • Literature
translation icon : carbonita
  • In The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader stands next to Boba Fett before Solo is encased in carbonite.

My writing is currently frozen in carbonite, like Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back.

Examples

  • And he's still frozen in carbonite.

    Return of the Jedi (1983)

  • In the movie, the villain stored his enemies in carbonite as a means of capture.

  • My writing is currently frozen in carbonite, like Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back.

    Rich Roll

  • Oh...they've encased him in carbonite.

    The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

  • The hero was encased in carbonite to prevent him from escaping.

  • The scientist developed a method to preserve artifacts using carbonite.

How Protective

carbonite
  • Literature
3 9.9
epoxy
  • Specialized
12 6.5
varnish
12 4.4
resin
  • Specialized
26 4.4

Surface Forms

carbonite singular
carbonites plural

Morphology

carbonite = carbon (semi-transparent) = carbon + ite

The relation to 'carbon' is obvious, but the suffix '-ite' (forming minerals/compounds) and the specific fictional/technical usage may be unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

Carbonite is a made-up name that joins carbon, the common element in coal and in living things, and the mineral ending -ite, as in graphite. So it feels like a 'carbon rock' or hard substance, which fits its use in stories to encase or 'freeze' people and objects.