Definition

To treat or combine a material with carbon, often to strengthen it, especially in the process of hardening steel.

Example

The blacksmith decided to carburize the steel to improve its durability.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Hey, have you ever heard of the process to carburize steel?

Yeah, I learned about it in my materials class last semester.

It's interesting how they use carbon to make the steel harder.

Exactly, it's a crucial step in casehardening!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Carburize → It is formed from "carbon" (from Latin "carbo", meaning coal or carbon) and "-ize" (a suffix used to form verbs indicating to cause to become). The word "carburize" means to cause a material to become impregnated with carbon.

Memory Tip

Think of 'carbon' as the key element being added to something, and '-ize' means to make or cause. So, carburize means to make something have carbon.

Visually Confused Words