noun
graphite
GRA-fyt
noun
1
A soft, dark grey form of carbon used in pencil "lead," lubricants, and industrial materials.
"The pencil left a smudge of graphite on his fingers."
2
A dark grey color resembling graphite.
"The car came in a sleek graphite finish."
How to Use Graphite
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe soft grey mineral used in pencils, not to be confused with "graphic."
Common mistake
Pencil "lead" is actually graphite, not the metal lead.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
graphite pencil
graphite finish
Word Forms
graphited past tense, graphites plural, graphites singular
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The pencil left a smudge of _____ on his fingers.
Etymology
Coined in German (Graphit) in 1789 from Greek graphein, "to write," because of its use in pencils.