calcium carbide


noun
  1. a grayish-black, lumpy, crystalline powder, CaC2, usually derived from coke or anthracite by reaction with limestone or quicklime: used chiefly for the generation of acetylene, which it yields upon decomposing in water.

Origin of calcium carbide

1
First recorded in 1885–90

Words Nearby calcium carbide

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How to use calcium carbide in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for calcium carbide

calcium carbide

noun
  1. a grey salt of calcium used in the production of acetylene (by its reaction with water) and calcium cyanamide. Formula: CaC 2: Sometimes shortened to: carbide

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