American English

How to pronounce carbs

nounB1

KAHRBZ

/kʰɑɹbz/

One syllable.

Form of carb

Carbs are carbohydrates, especially when talking about food or a diet.

Meanings & examples

plural noun

Carbs are carbohydrates, especially when talking about food or a diet.

I’m trying to eat fewer carbs.

Rice is high in carbs.

Containing little carbohydrate.

She is following a low-carb diet.

Eating a lot of carbohydrate before a long or demanding physical activity.

The runners started carb loading before the race.

Carb is the short, informal form of carbohydrate. It does not mean “coal”; coal is carbón.