carbon dating

noun

: the determination of the age of old material (such as an archaeological or paleontological specimen) by means of the content of carbon 14
carbon-date transitive verb

Examples of carbon dating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Pigment samples from these works can also be used to help with identifying the age of the site using radio carbon dating. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 11 July 2024 The carbon dating suggests that the initial construction could have taken place during the last Ice Age, in the Paleolithic era, and was later modified in the Holocene or Neolithic era. Discover Staff, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 Using carbon dating, the researchers estimate that the pits are anywhere from 4,900 to 5,400 years old. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 23 May 2016 The generic equation for a bell curve is: The number e raised to an exponent appears in science and engineering equations for carbon dating, spring dampening, temperature variation, bacterial growth, and more. Kat Friedrich, Popular Mechanics, 16 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for carbon dating 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carbon dating.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carbon dating was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near carbon dating

Cite this Entry

“Carbon dating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20dating. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

carbon dating

noun
: the measurement of age (as of a fossil) by means of the amount of carbon 14 in the material
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