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carbon 14

noun
  1. radiocarbon(def 1).
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Also car·bon-14 [kahr-buh n-fawr-teen, -fohr-] /ˈkɑr bən fɔrˈtin, -foʊr-/.

Origin of carbon 14

First recorded in 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for carbon 14

Historical Examples

  • The case of carbon-14 is an example of a permanent man-made modification of the environment.

    Atoms, Nature, and Man

    Neal O. Hines

carbon 14 in Science

carbon 14

  1. A naturally occurring radioactive isotope of carbon having six protons and eight neutrons in the nucleus. Carbon 14 is important in dating archaeological and biological remains by radiocarbon dating.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
carbon 14 in Culture

carbon 14

A radioactive isotope of carbon. A carbon 14 atom contains six protons, six electrons, and eight neutrons. Carbon 14 is produced when neutrons bombard atoms of nitrogen.

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Note

Carbon 14 is used in a common form of radioactive dating to determine the age of ancient objects.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.