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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
Oxygen would never reach your cells without blood, and carbon dioxide would fill your blood vessels.
—Rachel Swalin, Health, 7 Apr. 2024
The climate impact of using that much of the pesticide, the petition said, was equivalent to the carbon dioxide released from about 1 million vehicles a year.
—Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The move prompted dismay from environmental advocates, particularly as 2023 marked the hottest year on record and atmospheric carbon dioxide reached record levels.
—Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
To decarbonize the electrical grid, companies are finding creative ways to store energy during periods of low demand in carbon dioxide storage balloons.
—Delger Erdenesanaa, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Once complete, the CCS technology will divert 2 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the underground storage site.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024
Share [Findings] The decreasing transpiration of plants, a result of rising carbon dioxide levels, was partly to blame for recent heat waves in northern latitudes.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
Over a 15-year lifespan, ours could eliminate about 54 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
—Tik Root, WIRED, 30 Mar. 2024
Cutting Carbon: The Biden administration plans to spend up to $6 billion on new technologies to cut carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industries like steel, cement, chemicals and aluminum, which are all enormous contributors to global warming but incredibly difficult to clean up.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carbon dioxide.' 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
1867, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near carbon dioxide
Cite this Entry
“Carbon dioxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20dioxide. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on carbon dioxide
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carbon dioxide
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