carbonize

verb

car·​bon·​ize ˈkär-bə-ˌnīz How to pronounce carbonize (audio)
carbonized; carbonizing

transitive verb

1
: to convert into carbon or a carbonic residue
2

Examples of carbonize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web What happens to the carbon dioxide? CO2 has value on its own as an industrial gas, to carbonize soda or to help greenhouse crops grow faster. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2023 In Herculaneum, the heat of the eruption carbonized scrolls from a vast library thought to be owned by Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, the father-in-law of Julius Caesar. Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Mar. 2023 The heat of the eruption carbonized many scrolls, including two—now housed at the Institut de France—that were unearthed in the 1750s excavation of a villa some believe was owned by Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 20 Mar. 2023 Solarization sounds relatively easy — just cover your grass in plastic for a couple of months and let the intense heat carbonize your lawn. Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022 As China races to de-carbonize its economy by 2060, the country is rapidly enacting comprehensive new reporting requirements. Henning Ohlsson, Forbes, 3 May 2022 Williams laid out an ambitious set of recommendations for the city to de-carbonize its energy portfolio. Gilbert Garcia, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Dec. 2021 The governor has had an easier time seeking to de-carbonize the electric grid. Stephen Singer, courant.com, 20 Dec. 2021 What isn’t clear, though, is how seriously investors can take these green bonds when the entities issuing them continue in parallel to make profits from fossil fuels that carbonize the climate. Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 23 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carbonize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbonize was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near carbonize

Cite this Entry

“Carbonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbonize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

carbonize

verb
car·​bon·​ize ˈkär-bə-ˌnīz How to pronounce carbonize (audio)
carbonized; carbonizing
: to change or become changed into carbon
carbonization
ˌkär-bə-nə-ˈzā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

carbonize

verb
car·​bon·​ize
variants or British carbonise
carbonized or British carbonised; carbonizing or British carbonising

transitive verb

: to convert into carbon or a carbonic residue

intransitive verb

: to become carbonized or charred
carbonization noun
or British carbonisation

More from Merriam-Webster on carbonize

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