carbene

noun

car·​bene

ˈkärˌbēn

plural -s

1

: one of the components of bitumen soluble in carbon disulfide but insoluble in carbon tetrachloride

—usually used in plural compare asphaltene

2

: any of a class of usually highly reactive chemical compounds containing an uncharged divalent carbon atom that are formed especially as intermediates in chemical reactions

Word History

Etymology

carb- + -ene

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