isotope
noun
iso·tope
| \ ˈī-sə-ˌtōp
\
\
Definition of isotope
1
: any of two or more species of atoms of a chemical element with the same atomic number and nearly identical chemical behavior but with differing atomic mass or mass number and different physical properties
2
: nuclide
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from isotope
isotopic
\ ˌī-sə-ˈtä-pik
, -ˈtō- \
adjective
, -ˈtō- \
adjective
isotopically
\ ˌī-sə-ˈtä-pi-k(ə-)lē
, -ˈtō- \
adverb
, -ˈtō- \
adverb
Examples of isotope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The earth is threaded with radioactive isotopes that decay at a constant rate into other substances, a process that scientists can use to study the planet’s history. — New York Times, "Overlooked No More: Elizabeth Rona, Pioneering Scientist Amid Dangers of War," 28 Aug. 2019 The Russian meteorological agency identified them as isotopes of strontium, two types of barium, and lanthanum but asserted that radiation levels are now normal in cities near the accident, which occurred Aug. 8 in the country’s north. — Andrew E. Kramer, BostonGlobe.com, "Russia identifies four radioactive isotopes from nuclear accident," 26 Aug. 2019 These are constituents of ordinary matter, found in the nuclei of all atoms except the lightest isotope of hydrogen, which is a lone proton. — The Economist, "Gravitational astronomy proves its maturity," 22 Aug. 2019 Eventually, those will be compared with isotopes found in the bone fragments of California grizzlies stored in museum collections. — Brent Crane, Discover Magazine, "Grizzly Bears Might Return to California. Is the State Ready?," 12 Mar. 2019 Helium transfers some of its energy to the new hydrogen isotopes entering the vessel, so that the plasma is self-sustained. — Giulia Pacchioni, Scientific American, "The Road to Fusion," 26 Aug. 2019 The team looked at both microscopic patterns of wear, which give an indication of the types of foodstuffs the creatures were chewing on, as well as the proportions of two carbon isotopes within the tooth enamel. — John Pickrell, National Geographic, "Saber-tooth surprise: Fossils redraw picture of the fearsome big cat," 5 Aug. 2019 In the new study, Dr. Grün tested samples using a technique called laser ablation mass spectrometry that measures levels of uranium isotopes. — Robert Lee Hotz, WSJ, "Fossil Suggests Earliest Known Movement of Humans Out of Africa," 10 July 2019 Chandrayaan-2, which will explore the Moon's southern hemisphere, will also be looking for the isotope helium-3, which could be mined for use in nuclear fusion. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "India Is Going to the Moon in July," 13 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'isotope.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for isotope
isotope
noun
English Language Learners Definition of isotope
chemistry
: any one of various forms in which the atoms of a chemical element can occur
See the full definition for isotope in the English Language Learners Dictionary
isotope
noun
iso·tope
| \ ˈī-sə-ˌtōp
\
\
Medical Definition of isotope
1
: any of two or more species of atoms of a chemical element with the same atomic number and position in the periodic table and nearly identical chemical behavior but with differing atomic mass or mass number and different physical properties
2
: nuclide
Other Words from isotope
isotopic
\ ˌī-sə-ˈtäp-ik
, -ˈtō-pik
\
adjective
, -ˈtō-pik
\
adjective
isotopically
\ -ˈtäp-i-k(ə-)lē
, -ˈtō-pi-
\
adverb
, -ˈtō-pi-
\
adverb
isotopy
\ ˈī-sə-ˌtō-pē
, ī-ˈsät-ə-pē
\
noun,
plural isotopies
, ī-ˈsät-ə-pē
\
noun,
plural isotopies
Keep scrolling for more