Carborundum

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌkɑɹ.bəˈɹʌn.dəm/

Definitions

1. A synthetic material known for its hardness and durability, often used as an abrasive in manufacturing processes
2. A compound of silicon and carbon, utilized in electronics and ceramics for its thermal conductivity
3. A trademark name that has become synonymous with a type of abrasive used in industrial applications and cutting tools

Etymology: Carborundum was coined in the 1890s by the American inventor Edward Goodrich Acheson, who was trying to make artificial diamonds. Heating clay with powdered coke in an electric furnace, he produced not diamonds but crystals of silicon carbide, so hard that they could scratch almost anything. He named the new substance by blending "carbon" with "corundum", the mineral family that includes sapphire and ruby, and it was registered as a trade name for the abrasive he went on to manufacture. The name was a compound from the start, not a borrowed or inherited word. Its two halves do the work: "carbon" points to the element in the mixture, and "corundum" signals a hardness that ranks just below diamond. Because the product sold so widely, the trade name gradually became the common word for the abrasive itself, which is how a single company's brand ended up describing a whole category of industrial grit.

Synonyms: silicon carbide