cobalt 60

noun

co·​balt 60 ˈkō-ˌbȯlt-ˈsik-stē 

: a heavy radioactive isotope of cobalt of the mass number 60 produced in nuclear reactors and used as a source of gamma rays (as for radiotherapy)

Examples of cobalt 60 in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Colorado, for instance, 27 buildings house scary-sounding elements such as cesium 137, cobalt 60, americium 241 and iridium 192. —Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2022

Given all that, replacing cobalt 60 machines does not always go well. —Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cobalt 60

noun

: a heavy radioactive form of cobalt of the mass number 60 made in nuclear reactors and used to produce gamma rays

Medical Definition

cobalt 60

noun

-ˈsik-stē 

: a heavy radioactive isotope of cobalt having the mass number 60 produced in nuclear reactors and used as a source of gamma rays especially in place of radium (as in the treatment of cancer and in radiography)

called also radiocobalt