carbon fiber

noun

: a very strong lightweight synthetic fiber made especially by carbonizing acrylic fiber at high temperatures
also : a material made from such fibers embedded in a resinous matrix
a high-performance automobile with a carbon fiber body

Examples of carbon fiber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A lot of the components, like the front fender, underbody paneling, rear wing, and side panels, are made from carbon fiber. — New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026 Scaling up Engineers discovered voids, or air pockets, between layers of carbon fiber that make up the domes’ composite structure. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026 For example, the 2016 design, called the Interplanetary Transport System (ITS), employed carbon fiber, but this gave way to the stainless-steel Starship, which SpaceX began testing in 2019 with short hops from its Texas site. — Andrew Jones, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026 The engineers then wound carbon fiber around the mandrel to create the vessel’s outer structure. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for carbon fiber

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbon fiber was in 1960

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carbon fiber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20fiber. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!