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
And that’s just the tip of the—isotope.
—
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 13 June 2026
Chien-Shiung Wu (1912 - 1997) • China 🇨🇳 During the Manhattan Project, Wu developed the crucial process of separating uranium isotopes—that work informed the creation of medical PET scans.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The enrichment process Gas centrifuge enrichment works by spinning uranium hexafluoride gas at high speed; the heavier uranium-238 isotope migrates toward the outer wall while the lighter, fissile uranium-235 concentrates near the axis.
—Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026
The authors of the new paper conducted a fresh osteoarchaeological analysis as well as multi-isotope and ancient DNA analysis.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for isotope
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Jordan Blum, Fortune, 13 June 2026
Chien-Shiung Wu (1912 - 1997) • China 🇨🇳 During the Manhattan Project, Wu developed the crucial process of separating uranium isotopes—that work informed the creation of medical PET scans.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The enrichment process Gas centrifuge enrichment works by spinning uranium hexafluoride gas at high speed; the heavier uranium-238 isotope migrates toward the outer wall while the lighter, fissile uranium-235 concentrates near the axis.
—Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026
The authors of the new paper conducted a fresh osteoarchaeological analysis as well as multi-isotope and ancient DNA analysis.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for isotope
Cite this Entry
“Isotope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/isotope. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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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