decarboxylation

noun

de·​car·​box·​yl·​ation ˌdē-kär-ˌbäk-sə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce decarboxylation (audio)
: the removal or elimination of carboxyl from a molecule
decarboxylate transitive verb

Examples of decarboxylation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These processes include winterization, decarboxylation, and chromatography. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023 The process is called decarboxylation, and there are expensive devices on the market that home chefs can buy to prepare their cannabis for cooking. Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2023 This can be accomplished by means of a process known as decarboxylation during which heat is applied to cannabis in order to trigger a chemical reaction that removes the COOH group (carboxylic acid) from each cannabinoid, converting Delta 8 THC into Delta 9 THC. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2022 Delta 8 THC can be derived from Delta 9 THC via decarboxylation; this process entails heating the cannabinoid in order to trigger a chemical reaction that removes its carboxylic acid, or CO2 molecule. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2022 During fermentation, acetaldehyde is produced directly from lactose metabolism as a result of pyruvate decarboxylation. Ashton Yoon, Discover Magazine, 4 July 2017 That science largely involves decarboxylation, a delicate process wherein the cannabis flower is heated for a period of time to activate the THC. Marian Bull, GQ, 7 June 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decarboxylation was in 1922

Dictionary Entries Near decarboxylation

Cite this Entry

“Decarboxylation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decarboxylation. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on decarboxylation

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!