calcium carbonate

noun

: a compound CaCO3 found in nature as calcite and aragonite and in plant ashes, bones, and shells and used especially in making lime and Portland cement and as a gastric antacid

Examples of calcium carbonate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The light reflecting off the calcium carbonate gives the water a milky blue hue. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 Sediment-gobbling also releases nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium carbonate from the sand, to be used by other animals. Katarina Zimmer, JSTOR Daily, 15 May 2025 Through a process called biomineralization, the calcium carbonate hardened the gooey, flexible mycelium into a stiff, bonelike structure. Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025 The toughness comes from the egg shell's structure; it is made up mostly of calcium carbonate (calcite) crystals, similar to tooth enamel or sea shells, embedded within a protein matrix. Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for calcium carbonate

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of calcium carbonate was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Calcium carbonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calcium%20carbonate. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

calcium carbonate

noun
: a solid substance found in nature as limestone and marble and in plant ashes, bones, and shells and used especially in making lime and portland cement

Medical Definition

calcium carbonate

noun
: a calcium salt CaCO3 that is found in limestone, chalk, marble, plant ashes, bones, and many shells, that is obtained also as a white precipitate by passing carbon dioxide into a suspension of calcium hydroxide in water, and that is used in dentifrices and in pharmaceuticals as an antacid and to supplement bodily calcium stores

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