1843 S. L. Metcalfe II. ii. 517 The immediate union of many oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon atoms.
1932 I. D. Garard ii. 20 At average room temperature, those normal paraffin hydrocarbons containing four carbon atoms or less are gaseous.
2005 R. McNeill Alexander vi. 153 The first stage of photosynthesis for most trees, shrubs and temperate grasses is the formation of a molecule containing three carbon atoms.