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
Advertisement People are often exposed to small quantities of Cs-137 due to the isotope remaining in the environment following nuclear weapons testing in the mid-20th century.
—
Richard Hall, Time, 19 Aug. 2025
Long story short, the scientists at Oak Ridge tasked with refining the uranium needed for the bomb were having problems with the highly corrosive uranium hexafluoride used to separate the uranium isotopes.
—David Szondy
august 02, New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2025
The lunar surface contains more than 1 million metric tons of the rare isotope, Interlune estimates.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
One of these isotopes, carbon-14, is radioactive and decays slowly.
—Oliver Swainston, Space.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for isotope
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Richard Hall, Time, 19 Aug. 2025
Long story short, the scientists at Oak Ridge tasked with refining the uranium needed for the bomb were having problems with the highly corrosive uranium hexafluoride used to separate the uranium isotopes.
—David Szondy
august 02, New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2025
The lunar surface contains more than 1 million metric tons of the rare isotope, Interlune estimates.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
One of these isotopes, carbon-14, is radioactive and decays slowly.
—Oliver Swainston, Space.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for isotope
Cite this Entry
“Isotope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/isotope. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
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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