ra·dio·car·bon
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Definition of radiocarbon
: radioactive carbon
especially
: carbon 14
Examples of radiocarbon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Inorganic materials can’t be dated using radiocarbon analysis, and the method can be prohibitively expensive. — Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, "Radiocarbon helps date ancient objects—but it's not perfect," 12 July 2019 Later, study authors Duncan Garrow of the University of Reading and Fraser Sturt of the University of Southampton took over, radiocarbon-dating pot residue and timbers from the crannogs. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Scotland’s Tiny Artificial Islands Date to the Stone Age," 14 June 2019 At the same time, the Economist notes, radiocarbon testing is so destructive that a sample can rarely be analyzed twice. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Cold War Nuclear Bomb Tests Are Helping Researchers Identify Art Forgeries," 7 June 2019 Based on recent scientific research, the SSEF offers radiocarbon age dating of pearls as a new service to our clients in collaboration with the Federal Institute of Technology. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, "A Rare Natural Pearl That Once Belonged to a Spanish Princess Is For Sale," 14 May 2019 However, new radiocarbon dating shows that Elasmotherium was made up of much heartier stuff, allowing for its survival. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Unicorns Rhinos Were Real and Lived With Humans, New Study Says," 27 Nov. 2018 Douglas and his colleagues compared the radiocarbon age of the plant waxes in each layer of sediment to the age of tiny plant fossils that had washed into the lake at the same time. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Carbon impact of ancient Maya farming may still be felt," 22 Aug. 2018 During the earliest phase, radiocarbon-dated to around 2300 B.C.E., the pits were filled with broken bits of ceramic drinking vessels, stone axs, millstones, and butchered animal bones. — Michael Price, Science | AAAS, "Rituals performed at this German ‘Stonehenge’ may link mysterious monument to its U.K. counterpart," 28 June 2018 That's what an international team of researchers have discovered through radiocarbon-dating with new developments in archaeological analysis. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The People Who Built Stonehenge Came From Wales," 3 Aug. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'radiocarbon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for radiocarbon
radiocarbon
noun
ra·dio·car·bon
| \ ˌrād-ē-ō-ˈkär-bən
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Medical Definition of radiocarbon
: radioactive carbon
especially
: carbon 14