calcium carbonate

American  

noun

1. a white, crystalline, water-insoluble, tasteless powder, CaCO 3 , occurring in nature in various forms, as calcite, chalk, and limestone: used chiefly in dentifrices and polishes and in the manufacture of lime and cement.

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calcium carbonate British  

noun

1. a white crystalline salt occurring in limestone, chalk, marble, calcite, coral, and pearl: used in the production of lime and cement. Formula: CaCO 3

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calcium carbonate Scientific  

1. A white or colorless crystalline compound occurring naturally in chalk, limestone, and marble and in the minerals calcite and aragonite. It is used to make toothpaste, white paint, and cleaning powder. Chemical formula: CaCO ₃ .

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Etymology

Origin of calcium carbonate

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Before CREW, using calcium carbonate wasn’t an option, Bott said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

More interesting for Bott than the climate benefit is the way calcium carbonate makes water more alkaline.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Only calcium carbonate and alpha alumina are abundant enough to be feasible at scale, yet both face serious technical problems during dispersion.

From Science Daily • Oct. 21, 2025

Visitors who stroll beside the lapping water take photos of the craggy calcium carbonate formations as flocks of migratory birds soar overhead.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025

“Oh, stuff like magnesium salts, and alcohol for keeping the Deltas and Epsilons small and backward, and calcium carbonate for bones, and all that sort of thing.”

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley