Carburises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Combines carbon into the surface of steel or iron to increase its hardness and strength
2. Treats metal by introducing carbon into its structure to make it harder and more durable
3. Adds carbon to the outer layer of steel to improve its hardness and wear resistance

Etymology: "Carburises" is the third-person singular present form of "carburise," so its history is that of the verb it belongs to. "Carburise" is the British spelling of "carburize," which means to combine carbon with another substance, most often by heating iron or steel in a carbon-rich environment so the surface absorbs carbon and hardens. The verb is built from "carbur-", drawn from the French "carbure," a chemical term for a compound of carbon, itself formed from Latin "carbo," meaning charcoal or coal, plus the chemical suffix "-ure." The -ize ending, which becomes "-ise" in British spelling, is the common verb-forming suffix that turns a noun into an action, so the whole word describes the act of treating something with carbon.

Synonyms: carburizes, case-hardens