I. ˈkärˌbēn noun
( -s )
Etymology: carb- + -ene
: one of the components of bitumen soluble in carbon disulfide but insoluble in carbon tetrachloride — usually used in plural; compare asphaltene
II. noun
: any of a class of usually highly reactive chemical compounds containing an uncharged divalent carbon atom that are formed especially as intermediates in chemical reactions