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 : quarantine
2 : to select from among others; especially : to separate from another substance so as to obtain pure or in a free state
3 : insulate

— iso·la·tor \-ˌlā-tər\ noun