Radiocarbon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A technique for determining the age of organic materials by measuring the amount of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope of carbon that remains in them
2. A scientific method for estimating the age of organic substances based on the amount of a specific radioactive carbon isotope still present in them
3. A method used for dating organic materials by assessing the remaining quantity of a radioactive isotope of carbon within them

Etymology: Radiocarbon is a compound of "radio-", from Latin "radius" meaning "ray" or "spoke of a wheel", and "carbon", from Latin "carbo" meaning "charcoal" or "coal". The word's name is a little misleading, since the method has nothing to do with radio waves. The "radio-" part refers to the radioactivity of the carbon-14 isotope, which decays over time and gives scientists a clock to read. The "carbon" half traces back much further. Latin "carbo" meant charcoal or burning coal, and it passed into French as "carbone" before arriving in English as "carbon." Chemists kept the name when they identified the element, so a word for glowing embers ended up naming the substance at the heart of every living thing. Radiocarbon is a modern coinage built from these parts, formed in English from the existing words "radio-" and "carbon" to name a dating technique. Its formation is plain: two familiar elements joined into a new term for a new method.

Synonyms: carbon-14, radiocarbon dating