graphite

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

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹæfaɪt/

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graphite (countable and uncountable, plural graphites)

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.
   • 1928, Lawrence R. Bourne, chapter 4, in Well Tackled!‎:

     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, resembling graphite or the marks made with a graphite pencil.

   graphite:  

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

• graphite fluoride

graphite (third-person singular simple present graphites, present participle graphiting, simple past and past participle graphited)

1. (transitive) To apply graphite to.

• diamond

• David Barthelmy (1997–2024) “Graphite”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
• “graphite”, in Mindat.org‎, Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2024.

• earth pig, earth-pig, earthpig

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graphite m (plural graphites)

1. graphite (form of carbon)

• “graphite”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.