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
ˌdē-kär-ˈbäk-sə-ˌlāt How to pronounce decarboxylation (audio)
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.
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 There are various methods for infusing cannabis, with the most common being the decarboxylation process followed by infusion. — Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 5 June 2025 These sessions are often led by chefs who specialize in culinary cannabis, teaching everything from the basics of decarboxylation to crafting gourmet edibles. — Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2024 These processes include winterization, decarboxylation, and chromatography. — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decarboxylation was in 1922

Rhymes for decarboxylation

See All Rhymes for decarboxylation

Browse Nearby Words

decarboxylase
decarboxylation
decarburation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decarboxylation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decarboxylation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on decarboxylation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about decarboxylation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All