carbs

IPA/kˈɑːbz/
KK[kˈɑrbz]IPA/kˈɑːrbz/

carbs — noun

1. a short, everyday word for carbohydrates — the substances in foods like bread, p

1.nounB1
Definition

a short, everyday word for carbohydrates — the substances in foods like bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta that your body turns into energy

Example

Priyanka cut back on carbs to feel less tired after lunch.

collocation: cut back on carbs

The nutrition label showed forty grams of carbs per serving.

Common collocations
  • cut back on carbs
  • refined carbs
  • complex carbs
  • simple carbs
  • carbs per serving
  • source of carbs
  • load up on carbs
  • good carbs
  • bad carbs
Synonyms
  • carbohydrate

    the formal, scientific term; used on food labels and in medical writing

  • starch

    a specific type of carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes and rice; narrower and more technical

Antonyms
  • protein

    another major nutrient; often contrasted with carbs in diet discussions

  • fat

    the third main macronutrient alongside carbs and protein

Usage Note

Almost always used in the plural form 'carbs'. The singular 'carb' appears mainly in compounds like 'carb-heavy' or 'low-carb', but sounds unnatural on its own in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

I ate too many carb at dinner.
I ate too many carbs at dinner.
'carbs' is almost always plural; using the singular 'carb' by itself sounds wrong to most English speakers.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Carbs is the everyday, informal word for carbohydrates. While carbohydrate appears in textbooks and on food packaging, carbs is what you hear in conversation and see in lifestyle writing. Starch refers to a specific kind of complex carbohydrate — the powdery substance that makes potatoes, rice, and bread filling — so all starch is carbs, but not all carbs are starch. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that dissolves in water and tastes sweet; it is a subset of carbs that people often try to limit for health reasons. When someone says 'I'm cutting out carbs,' they usually mean they are avoiding both starchy foods and sugary foods together.

carbohydrate ↗starch ↗sugar ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • cut back on carbs
  • load up on carbs
  • good carbs
  • bad carbs

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Carbs is a shortened form of carbohydrates, which entered English in the mid-19th century. The word carbohydrate was created by combining 'carbo-' (from carbon) and 'hydrate' (from water), because the chemical formula of carbohydrates can be written as carbon plus water. The clipped form carbs became popular in the late 20th century as talking about food and diet became a bigger part of everyday life.