n.
Highly absorbent carbon obtained by heating granulated charcoal to exhaust contained gases, resulting in a highly porous form with a very large surface area. It is used primarily for purifying gases by adsorption, solvent recovery, or deodorization and as an antidote to certain poisons. Also called activated carbon.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
