Decarbonations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of removing carbon dioxide from a substance or environment
2. A chemical reaction or physical process aimed at lowering carbon content in materials or gases
3. The act of decreasing carbon emissions from processes, often to mitigate environmental impact

Etymology: "Decarbonations" is simply the plural of "decarbonation," a noun formed in English by attaching the prefix "de-" to "carbonation." The prefix, from Latin "de-" meaning "down, away from, or reverse," signals removal, so the base word's sense of adding carbon dioxide to a liquid is turned around into taking carbon out. Carbonation itself comes from "carbon," which traces back to Latin "carbo," meaning charcoal or ember, and the process of charging water or drinks with carbon dioxide gas gave the base word its familiar sense. Adding "de-" to such a word is a standard way of forming technical terms in chemistry and industry, which is why the term describes the opposite of carbonation: the removal of carbon from materials or gases.