| a colorless, odorless, incombustible gas, CO2, present in the atmosphere and formed during respiration, usually obtained from coal, coke, or natural gas by combustion, from carbohydrates by fermentation, by reaction of acid with limestone or other carbonates, or naturally from springs: used extensively in industry as dry ice, or carbon dioxide snow, in carbonated beverages, fire extinguishers, etc. |
| carbon dioxide n. A colorless, odorless, incombustible gas, CO2, formed during respiration, combustion, and organic decomposition and used in food refrigeration, carbonated beverages, inert atmospheres, fire extinguishers, and aerosols. Also called carbonic acid gas. |
A compound made up of molecules containing one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms.
Note: Carbon dioxide is normally found as a gas that is breathed out by animals and absorbed by green plants. The plants, in turn, return oxygen to the atmosphere. (See carbon cycle and respiration.)
Note: Carbon dioxide is also given off in the burning of fossil fuels (see greenhouse effect).
carbon dioxide n.
A colorless, odorless, incombustible gas formed during respiration, combustion, and organic decomposition and used in inert atmospheres, fire extinguishers, and aerosols.
