graphite

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈɡræfaɪt/

Noun

graphite (uncountable)

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 and in "lead" pencils.
   • 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 4, Well Tackled!^[1]:

     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. Short for graphite-reinforced plastic, a composite plastic made with graphite fibers noted for light weight strength and stiffness.

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

3. A grey colour.

Synonyms

• (allotrope of carbon): plumbago, black lead
• (composite plastic): carbon fiber reinforced plastic, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, graphite composite, CFRP, CRP

Translations

form of carbon

• Chinese: 石墨 (shímò)
• Czech: grafit (cs) m, tuha (cs) f
• Esperanto: grafito (eo)
• Estonian: grafiit (et)
• Finnish: grafiitti (fi)
• French: graphite (fr) m
• German: Graphit (de) m
• Greenlandic: torsummiutaq (kl), aqerluusassaq (kl)
• Icelandic: grafít (is) n

• Ido: grafito (io)
• Italian: grafite (it) f
• Japanese: 石墨 (ja) (せきぼく, sekiboku)
• Korean: 석묵
• Polish: grafit (pl) m
• Portuguese: grafite (pt), grafita (pt)
• Romanian: grafit (ro) n
• Russian: графит (ru) (grafit) m
• Spanish: grafito (es) m
• Swedish: grafit (sv) c, blyerts (sv) c

composite plastic

• Finnish: hiilikuitu (fi), hiilikuitukomposiitti (fi)

colour

• Finnish: grafiitinharmaa (fi)

• Swedish: blyerts (sv) c

See also

• diamond