British Dictionary definitions for buckminsterfullerene
a form of carbon that contains molecules having 60 carbon atoms arranged at the vertices of a polyhedron with hexagonal and pentagonal faces. It is produced in carbon arcs and occurs naturally in small amounts in certain minerals
(bŭk'mĭn-stər-fl'ə-rēn') An extremely stable, ball-shaped carbon molecule whose structure looks like a geodesic dome. It is believed to occur naturally in soot, and was the first fullerene to be discovered. Also called buckyball. Chemical formula:C60.