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
Examples of isotope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These medications hit cancer cells directly via radioactive isotopes that target molecules like antibodies and peptides.
—
Bruce Gil, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
The researcher analyzed the teeth for strontium isotopes, an element that builds up in tooth enamel in the early layers of teeth as the horse ages, according to the release.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
Video Ad Feedback What the life of Putin nemesis in Arctic penal colony looked like
02:36 - Source: CNN
Former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko died in Britain in 2006 after being poisoned with a rare radioactive isotope, polonium-210.
—Laura Smith-Spark, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024
Samples collected along the tusk contain isotopes, which provide chemical markers of an animal’s diet and location.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2024
Her goal is to create maps using a variety of isotopes.
—Maddie Bender, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024
What geologists can now see in rocks—from the subtle (think changes in the ratios of carbon and oxygen isotopes) to the gross (think plastic residues in marine sediments)—points to large-scale, far-ranging and utterly pervasive human impacts.
—Naomi Oreskes, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2023
The team measured isotopes in quartz to date the soil to 1.4 million years old.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
Related article Gene that protected humans 5,000 years ago may be linked to debilitating modern disease
The shower of radiation as cosmic rays interact with the atmosphere can penetrate rock, creating cosmogenic nuclides, or isotopes.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
Bruce Gil, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
The researcher analyzed the teeth for strontium isotopes, an element that builds up in tooth enamel in the early layers of teeth as the horse ages, according to the release.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
Video Ad Feedback What the life of Putin nemesis in Arctic penal colony looked like
02:36 - Source: CNN
Former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko died in Britain in 2006 after being poisoned with a rare radioactive isotope, polonium-210.
—Laura Smith-Spark, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024
Samples collected along the tusk contain isotopes, which provide chemical markers of an animal’s diet and location.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2024
Her goal is to create maps using a variety of isotopes.
—Maddie Bender, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024
What geologists can now see in rocks—from the subtle (think changes in the ratios of carbon and oxygen isotopes) to the gross (think plastic residues in marine sediments)—points to large-scale, far-ranging and utterly pervasive human impacts.
—Naomi Oreskes, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2023
The team measured isotopes in quartz to date the soil to 1.4 million years old.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024
Related article Gene that protected humans 5,000 years ago may be linked to debilitating modern disease
The shower of radiation as cosmic rays interact with the atmosphere can penetrate rock, creating cosmogenic nuclides, or isotopes.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'isotope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near isotope
Cite this Entry
“Isotope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/isotope. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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
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