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Definition of isotope noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

isotope

noun
 
/ˈaɪsətəʊp/
 
/ˈaɪsətəʊp/
 (physics, chemistry)
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  1. one of two or more forms of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons in their atoms. They have different physical properties (= characteristics) but the same chemical ones.
    • radioactive isotopes
    • the many isotopes of carbon
    Topics Physics and chemistryc2
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryIsotope is used after these nouns:
    • carbon
    See full entry
    Word Origin1913: coined by F. Soddy, from iso- ‘equal’ + Greek topos ‘place’ (because the isotopes occupy the same place in the periodic table of elements).
See isotope in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee isotope in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: isotope

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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