allotrope

noun

al·​lo·​trope ˈa-lə-ˌtrōp How to pronounce allotrope (audio)
: a form showing allotropy

Examples of allotrope in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The breakthrough, led by Oxford’s Department of Chemistry, paves the way for in-depth studies of these unusual carbon allotropes under everyday laboratory conditions. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025 Enlarge / Graphene is a remarkable allotrope, deserving of further study. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024 Graphite, diamond, fullerenes, and graphene are all carbon allotropes, and their diverse properties arise from the combination and arrangement of multiple types of bonds between their carbon atoms. IEEE Spectrum, 23 June 2022 Graphene is a super material and an allotrope of carbon that’s made up of a layer of atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb nanostructure. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2021 Therrien is bullish about the long-term potential of geometrical frustration to synthesize novel allotropes of carbon and other elements. W. Wayt Gibbs, Science | AAAS, 12 Nov. 2019 Altogether, then, this allotrope of carbon looks likely to have a profitable future. The Economist, 5 Oct. 2019 And now, according to a paper today in Science, a team of researchers in Europe has succeeded in creating a strange new allotrope: an 18-carbon ring that had eluded labs for decades. Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, 14 Aug. 2019 More Biology and Tech The e-tattoo is built from the thermoplastic polyvinylidene fluoride and graphene, which is an allotrope of carbon that's 100 times stronger than steel. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 26 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

allo- + -trope, after allotropy

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of allotrope was in 1833

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Allotrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allotrope. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

allotrope

noun
al·​lo·​trope ˈal-ə-ˌtrōp How to pronounce allotrope (audio)
: a form showing allotropy
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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