definitions

carbon 14

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noun

radiocarbon(def 1).

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Nearby words

carboloy, carboluria, carbon, carbon 12, carbon 13, carbon 14, carbon 14 dating, carbon arc, carbon bisulphide, carbon black, carbon brush
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. 2019

Examples from the Web for carbon 14

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

    Atoms, Nature, and Man|Neal O. Hines

Science definitions for carbon 14

carbon 14

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Culture definitions for carbon 14

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.

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.