graphite

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graph·ite / ˈgraˌfīt/ • n. a gray, crystalline, allotropic form of carbon that occurs as a mineral in some rocks and can be made from coke. It is used as a solid lubricant, in pencils, and as a moderator in nuclear reactors.DERIVATIVES: gra·phit·ic / grəˈfitik/ adj.ORIGIN: late 18th cent.: coined in German (Graphit), from Greek graphein ‘write’ (because of its use as pencil “lead”).

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