carbon paper

[ kahr-buhn pey-per ]

noun

1. paper faced with a preparation of carbon or other material, used between two sheets of plain paper in order to reproduce on the lower sheet that which is written or typed on the upper.
2. Also called car·bon tis·sue [kahr, -b, uh, n tish-oo, tis-yoo]. a paper for making photographs by the carbon process.

carbon paper

noun

1. a thin sheet of paper coated on one side with a dark waxy pigment, often containing carbon, that is transferred by the pressure of writing or of typewriter keys onto the copying surface below Often shortened tocarbon
2. another name for carbon tissue

Word History and Origins

Origin of carbon paper¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The scientists then adhere the nanoparticles to carbon paper that is hydrophilic, or attracted to water molecules.

From Science Daily

The term “carbon copy” refers to the old carbon paper method of making copies that was popular before copying machines.

From Encyclopedia.com

And my sister once used a sheet of carbon paper as Ken’s blanket, despoiling his face with permanent blue ink.

From Los Angeles Times

He typed the essays, using the carbon paper to make multiple copies on the red paper, and stamped each one with a swastika to look official.

From Literature

He was brilliantly hazed by a co-worker who told him, while Bernstein was wearing a beloved cream-colored suit, that he had to “wash” all the staff’s used carbon paper.

From New York Times