decalcification

[ dee-kal-suh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act or process of decalcifying.
2. the loss of calcium or calcium compounds, as from bone or soil.

Other Words From

• nonde·calci·fi·cation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decalcification¹

First recorded in 1855–60; decalci(fy) + -fication

Example Sentences

Initial evaluations of the animal found she had 10 pathological fractures, or breaks caused by weak bones, which veterinarians said occurred because of the decalcification of her bones.

From Los Angeles Times

Future reef decalcification under a business-as-usual CO2 emission scenario.

From Nature

But until now, there wasn’t definitive proof the water’s acidity was causing decalcification.

From The Verge

Is monitoring bone decalcification the reason we ventured into the cosmos in the first place?

From Time Magazine Archive

Scientists speculated that she breathed cadmium particles and fumes generated by the plant's smelting process, and pointed out that a major symptom of such poisoning, decalcification of bones, is not detectable by X ray until the bones have lost about 30% of their calcium.

From Time Magazine Archive