car·bo·nate • n. / ˈkärbənət; -ˌnāt/ a salt of the anion CO₃²⁻, typically formed by reaction of carbon dioxide with bases.• v. / ˈkärbəˌnāt/ [tr.] [usu. as adj.] (carbonated) dissolve carbon dioxide in (a liquid): a carbonated soft drink. ∎ Chem. convert into a carbonate, typically by reaction with carbon dioxide.DERIVATIVES: car·bo·na·tion / ˌkärbəˈnāshən/ n.

carbonate Salt of carbonic acid, formed when carbon dioxide (CO₂) dissolves in water. Carbonic acid is an extremely weak acid and both it and many of its salts are unstable, decomposing readily to release CO₂. Nevertheless, large parts of the Earth's crust are made up of carbonates, such as calcium carbonate and dolomite.