Main Entry:

¹iso·late

Pronunciation:

\ˈī-sə-ˌlāt also ˈi-\

Function:

transitive verb

Inflected Form(s):

iso·lat·ed; iso·lat·ing

Etymology:

back-formation from isolated set apart, from French isolé, from Italian isolato, from isola island, from Latin insula

Date:

1799

1: to set apart from others ; also : quarantine2: to select from among others ; especially : to separate from another substance so as to obtain pure or in a free state3: insulate

— iso·la·tor \-ˌlā-tər\ noun