isotope

noun

iso·​tope ˈī-sə-ˌtōp 

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

isotopic

ˌī-sə-ˈtä-pik  -ˈtō- 

adjective

isotopically

ˌī-sə-ˈtä-pi-k(ə-)lē  -ˈtō- 

adverb

Examples of isotope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The claim: Drones deployed in New Jersey to search for missing radioactive material A Dec. 16 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) links the drone sightings across the eastern U.S. to the search for a radioactive isotope that briefly went missing in New Jersey. —Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024

Coronal mass ejections leave a geological record on Earth—an elevated level of a radioactive carbon isotope that appears in tree rings and ice cores. —Gayoung Lee, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024

This battery would be powered by a diamond surrounding a radioactive isotope of carbon known as carbon-14. —Jess Thomson, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

The scarcity of specific isotopes adds complexity, making strategic sourcing and management imperative. —Stephen Belcher, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

is- + Greek topos place

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

isotope

noun

iso·​tope ˈī-sə-ˌtōp 

: any of the forms of an element that differ in the number of neutrons in an atom

isotopic

ˌī-sə-ˈtäp-ik 

-ˈtō-pik

adjective

isotopically

-ˈtäp-i-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈtō-pi-

adverb

Medical Definition

isotope

noun

iso·​tope ˈī-sə-ˌtōp 

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

isotopic

ˌī-sə-ˈtäp-ik  -ˈtō-pik 

adjective

isotopically

-ˈtäp-i-k(ə-)lē  -ˈtō-pi- 

adverb

isotopy

ˈī-sə-ˌtō-pē  ī-ˈsät-ə-pē 

noun

plural isotopies