Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
carbonous

carbonous

9.6
Containing carbon in a simple chemical form with little oxygen
  • adjective
  • /ˈkɑːrbənəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : carbonoso
  • The carbonous compounds are essential for organic chemistry.

Examples

  • The solution contains several carbonous compounds derived from fossil fuels.

  • Some metals can form both carbonous and carbonic salts, depending on the oxidation state of the carbon.

  • Older chemistry texts refer to carbon monoxide as a carbonous oxide.

  • Scientists study carbonous materials for energy solutions.

  • The soil was rich in carbonous compounds, which helped the plants thrive.

  • Scientists studied carbonous minerals to understand their role in forming coal.

  • Many organic materials, such as wood, are carbonous in nature, containing high levels of carbon.

Synonyms

carbonaceous
vscarbonous
  • Specialized
2 9.1

Made mostly from carbon, like coal or some meteorites

specifies carbon in compounds with a lower oxidation state than carbonic forms
carbonic
vscarbonous
  • Specialized
2 7.4

Relating to or containing carbon in chemicals

focuses on carbon in lower oxidation states within compounds rather than general carbon presence
carboniferous
vscarbonous
  • Specialized
9.8

Containing carbon or able to form coal

concerns carbon in specific lower oxidation states within compounds rather than production processes

Surface Forms

carbonous positive

Morphology

carbonous = carbon (transparent) = carbon + ous

Formed directly from the noun 'carbon' with the adjectival suffix '-ous', yielding 'relating to or containing carbon'; the technical nuance about oxidation states is specialized but does not obscure the basic relation.

Etymology

Carbonous comes from carbon, from the Latin carbo meaning 'coal' or 'charcoal', and the ending -ous meaning 'relating to' or 'full of'. So carbonous means 'relating to carbon' and is often used for compounds where the carbon has less oxygen, like carbon monoxide.