radiocarbon

noun

ra·​dio·​car·​bon ˌrā-dē-ō-ˈkär-bən How to pronounce radiocarbon (audio)
often attributive
: radioactive carbon
especially : carbon 14

Examples of radiocarbon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Experts analyzed the chemical and physical properties of the bread and used radiocarbon dating to determine its age, the university said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Archaeologists used radiocarbon dating to date one mass grave to between the late 1400s and early 1600s, and found shards of pottery and coins dating from the later end of that range at the site. Jack Guy, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Topping found few of these orbs below the soil layer with the errant radiocarbon dates, and few after. Zach St. George, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 In future studies, the team would like to directly radiocarbon date and measure the carbon isotopes of hazelnut shells from other archeological sites and environments. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024 Indeed, scientists used radiocarbon dating on a 2,000-year-old skull to determine that Romans may have been among the first to deliberately breed lapdogs, according to a study published in the Journal of Archeological Science in 2023. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2023 The results lined up very well with Bennett and his colleagues’ original radiocarbon dates; the tracks couldn’t be any younger than about 21,500 years old. Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 5 Oct. 2023 The study used radiocarbon dating to date 76 items, including baskets and 22 sandals made from esparto, a kind of grass used in crafts across the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa for thousands of years. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 29 Sep. 2023 After the results of the 2021 study were revealed, questions concerned whether the seeds of aquatic plants used for the original dating may have absorbed ancient carbon from the lake — which could have thrown off radiocarbon dating by thousands of years. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 6 Oct. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radiocarbon was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near radiocarbon

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

radiocarbon

noun
ra·​dio·​car·​bon ˌrād-ē-ō-ˈkär-bən How to pronounce radiocarbon (audio)
: radioactive carbon
especially : carbon 14

Medical Definition

radiocarbon

noun
ra·​dio·​car·​bon ˌrād-ē-ō-ˈkär-bən How to pronounce radiocarbon (audio)
: radioactive carbon
especially : carbon 14
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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