Advertisement

Advertisement

silicon carbide

noun

, Chemistry.
  1. a very hard, insoluble, crystalline compound, SiC, used as an abrasive and as an electrical resistor in objects exposed to high temperatures.


silicon carbide

noun

  1. an extremely hard bluish-black insoluble crystalline substance produced by heating carbon with sand at a high temperature and used as an abrasive and refractory material. Silicon carbide whiskers have a high tensile strength and are used in composites; very pure crystals are used as semiconductors. Formula: SiC
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of silicon carbide1

First recorded in 1900–05
Discover More

Example Sentences

An amorphous, soft silicon carbide, also formed in the electric furnace, was patented by B. Talbot in 1899.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Silicon Alleysilicon chip