carbonate
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
to form into a carbonate.
-
to charge or impregnate with carbon dioxide.
carbonated drinks.
-
to make sprightly; enliven.
noun
verb
-
to form or turn into a carbonate
-
(tr) to treat with carbon dioxide or carbonic acid, as in the manufacture of soft drinks
-
A salt or ester of carbonic acid, containing the group CO 3. The reaction of carbonic acid with a metal results in a salt (such as sodium carbonate), and the reaction of carbonic acid with an organic compound results in an ester (such as diethyl carbonate).
-
Any other compound containing the group CO 3. Carbonates include minerals such as calcite and aragonite.
-
Sediment or a sedimentary rock formed by the precipitation of organic or inorganic carbon from an aqueous solution of carbonates of calcium, magnesium, or iron. Limestone is a carbonate rock.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
carbonatornoun
-
noncarbonatenoun
-
noncarbonatedadjective
-
semicarbonateadjective
-
uncarbonatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
carbonatesimple
-
carbonatessimple
-
have carbonatedperfect
-
has carbonatedperfect
-
am carbonatingprogressive
-
are carbonatingprogressive
-
is carbonatingprogressive
-
have been carbonatingperfect progressive
-
has been carbonatingperfect progressive
Past
-
carbonatedsimple
-
had carbonatedperfect
-
was carbonatingprogressive
-
were carbonatingprogressive
-
had been carbonatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of carbonate
1785–95; carbon(ic acid) + -ate 2, later taken as -ate 1
Vocabulary lists containing carbonate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Scientists believe the striking turquoise color comes from blooms of coccolithophores, microscopic phytoplankton coated in calcium carbonate plates.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
The Black Giant project, in northern Chile’s Antofagasta region, is designed to produce up to 52,500 metric tons of lithium carbonate annually once its first two stages are complete in 2030.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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
Battery-grade lithium carbonate prices rebounded to $23,050 per metric ton, up from $8,475 in June 2025.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
“Dude, lime. Calcium carbonate, used in cement and a bunch of other—Ah, never mind. The point is, this ship isn’t going far unless we can fix it.”
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Recently, the scientific community published an interesting study that revitalizes carbonates, offering them a fresh perspective.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2024
Analysis of Phaethon's infrared spectrum showed that the asteroid was composed of at least olivine, carbonates, iron sulfides, and oxide minerals.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2023
Take limestone, a chalky rock rich in minerals called carbonates.
From National Geographic ● Oct. 12, 2023
We capture carbon using a process called aqueous mineralization, where an alkaline solution is exposed to atmosphere, causing the formation of carbonates.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2023
She asked for a machine that carbonates water for her birthday so we’d stop going through so many cans.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
"Everything is big, even the Coke is big," Baghdad says, referring to the carbonated beverage.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
Soda syrup and carbonated water were kept just above freezing to trap more carbon dioxide and increase the fizz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Despite these claims, the exact way carbonated water might lower blood glucose is not well understood.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2026
Even before the pandemic, bottled water had overtaken External link soda as the nation’s most popular beverage by volume after years External link of decline for carbonated soft drinks—a category where demand remains lumpy.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026
Nicolas wis interested in doing it for commercial reasons, in a gigantic hot-air sausage on which would be printed an advertisement for carbonated drinks.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
"So I think carbonating it and adding fruit flavour makes it more interesting. That's the real innovation."
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2025
He also recommended carbonating the blend and making something like a homemade yuzu soda — truly the perfect way to “Make it Fancy.”
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2024
However, according to NAS, fully carbonating these wastes could require building costly plants to speed the reactions.
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 3, 2020
Or it may contain additives such as “flavour enhancers, colours, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling and glazing agents”.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 12, 2020
The most interesting among these is the "chilling" and "carbonating" system.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
