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

The researchers point out that much of the calcium carbonate produced by plankton does not sink all the way to the ocean floor.

From Science Daily

In this approach, microorganisms produce cement like substances such as calcium carbonate at room temperature.

From Science Daily

Some of these animals can photosynthesize like plants; some harvest algae and seawater to make calcium carbonate for their underwater castles; some produce their own light or glow in the dark.

From The Wall Street Journal

Proposed alternatives include minerals such as calcium carbonate, alpha alumina, rutile and anatase titania, cubic zirconia, and even diamond.

From Science Daily

These single-celled algae, which contain chlorophyll, float in the sunlit layers of the sea and are coated with calcium carbonate plates known as coccoliths.

From Science Daily