Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » carbon dating

carbon dating

The definition of carbon dating is measuring how much radioactive carbon is present in carbon-based remains to make an informed guess about their age.

(noun)

An example of carbon dating is what scientists use to make an informed guess about the age of dinosaur bones.

See carbon dating in Webster's New World College Dictionary

a method of establishing the approximate age of carbonaceous materials, such as fossil remains or archaeological specimens, by measuring the amount of radioactive carbon-14 remaining in them

also carbon-14 dating

See carbon dating in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

See radiocarbon dating.

Related Forms: