Decarburise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Removes carbon from the surface or body of iron or steel, usually by heating it in an oxidizing environment to reduce its carbon content
2. Lowers the carbon content of an iron or steel object by a process that burns or draws carbon out of the metal
3. Strips carbon out of steel or iron so that the metal becomes softer and less brittle than before

Etymology: "Decarburise" is the British spelling of "decarburize," and its history is plain: it is a compound of the prefix "de-," meaning "removal of" or "reversal of," and "carburize." The prefix comes from Latin "de," which in English words of this kind signals taking something away, while "carburize" means to combine a metal with carbon, usually by heating it in a carbon-rich environment to harden its surface or change its properties. Put together, "decarburise" describes the reverse process: removing carbon from iron or steel, most often to soften the metal or to adjust its composition. The word is a technical coinage built from familiar parts, so there is no older sense to trace, only the metallurgical meaning that the two elements produce together.

Synonyms: decarburize, decarbonise, decarbonize

Antonyms: carburise, carburize