carbon dioxide

noun

: a heavy colorless gas CO2 that does not support combustion, dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, is formed especially in animal respiration and in the decay or combustion of animal and vegetable matter, is absorbed from the air by plants in photosynthesis, and is used in the carbonation of beverages

Examples of carbon dioxide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Such compounds can form by other means, such as, for example, the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide. Dirk Schulze-Makuch, Big Think, 17 Sep. 2025 About 8,000 facilities in the US will no longer have to report annual emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases. Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Heavy trucks account for about two gigatonnes of carbon dioxide annually, not to mention other emissions, so seeking cleaner alternatives to power them is a major priority in environmental circles. New Atlas, 15 Sep. 2025 This uncanny coincidence — that the Earth’s radiation lines up with the energies of carbon dioxide’s mixed vibrational/rotational quantum state — is how this tiny trace of molecules, mere flecks in the air, completely dominates our climate. Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for carbon dioxide

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbon dioxide was in 1867

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Cite this Entry

“Carbon dioxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20dioxide. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

carbon dioxide

noun
: a heavy colorless gas CO2 that is formed especially by the burning and breaking down of organic substances (as in animal respiration), is absorbed from the air by plants in photosynthesis, and has many industrial uses

Medical Definition

carbon dioxide

noun
: a heavy colorless gas CO2 that does not support combustion, dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, is formed especially in animal respiration and in the decay or combustion of animal and vegetable matter, is absorbed from the air by plants in photosynthesis, and is used in the carbonation of beverages

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