Decalcification

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: [diːˌkæɫsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən]

Definitions

1. The act of eliminating calcium from materials or living organisms leads to a diminished calcium concentration within biological or mineral substrates, which can result in structural weakness
2. The removal of calcium from biological and non-biological entities results in lower calcium levels, which can adversely affect the integrity of bones or teeth
3. The process of extracting calcium compounds from objects or living tissues, decreasing their calcium content and potentially leading to decreased hardness or strength

Etymology: Decalcification is a plain compound: the prefix de- ("removal, reversal," from Latin "de") attached to "calcification," which itself comes from "calcify," built on the Latin "calx," meaning lime or limestone. The result describes the removal of calcium, the same mineral that makes bone and chalk hard, so the word's literal sense is "un-limestoning" or "taking the lime out." The suffix chain behind "calcification" runs through Latin "-atio" and Old French "-acion," which English adopted as "-ation" in the Middle English period. Because "calcify" was formed in English on the Latin stem of "calx," the whole word is a modern technical formation rather than something inherited from classical times. Its usage clusters in medicine, geology and chemistry, where the process of stripping calcium from bones, water or rock is precise and important.