carborundum

Blend of carbon +‎ corundum; originally a trade name.

• IPA^(key): /ˌkɑɹ.bəˈɹʌn.dəm/

carborundum (uncountable)

1. Crystals of silicon carbide used as an abrasive.
   • 1892, Nikola Tesla, Experiments with Alternate Currents of High Potential and High Frequency, Wildside Press LLC, →ISBN, page 73:

     There is no doubt that such a button — properly prepared under great pressure — of carborundum, especially of powder of the best quality, will withstand the effect of the bombardment fully as well as anything we know.

   • 1976, M.R. Walter, Stromatolites, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 28:

     This can most readily be done by use of carborundum marking. The procedure involves successive marking of the same mat with layers of carborundum at least twice.

   • 1995, Reg F. Chapman, Gerrit de Boer, Regulatory Mechanisms in Insect Feeding, Springer Science & Business Media, →ISBN, page 22:

     At the same times, samples were taken to determine that the carborundum treatment did increase the amount of wear of the mandibles compared with insects on the diet without carborundum powder.

   • 2008, Gerald W. R. Ward, The Grove Encyclopedia of Materials and Techniques in Art, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 83:

     Print made by combining carborundum—a carbon and silicon compound customarily used for polishing by abrasion—with synthetic resin or varnish (see also Prints, §III, 5).

• David Barthelmy (1997–2025) “Carborundum”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
• “carborundum”, in Mindat.org‎^[1], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2025.

carborundum m (plural carborundums)

1. carborundum

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

Unadapted borrowing from English carborundum.

carborundum m (invariable)

1. carborundum

Borrowed from French carborundum.

carborundum n (uncountable)

1. carborundum