isotope

noun

iso·​tope ˈī-sə-ˌtōp How to pronounce isotope (audio)
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
isotopic adjective

Examples of isotope 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.
Indeed, the vegetation that the rhinos ate and the soil and bedrock that supported that vegetation shared similar ratios of carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotopes, and those isotopes made their way to the rhinos’ teeth during feeding. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025 At low temperatures, the most common magnesium in a dolomite crystal is isotope 26. David Bressan, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 Many of them focus on radically new technologies for heating and compressing plasmas, or fusing unusual combinations of isotopes. ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2025 At the same time, some of the material in the Chang'e 6 samples deviated from those of the Apollo missions in terms of the ratio of certain Uranium and Lead isotopes. Andrew Jones, Space.com, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for isotope

Word History

Etymology

is- + Greek topos place

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of isotope was in 1913

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Isotope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/isotope. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

isotope

noun
iso·​tope ˈī-sə-ˌtōp How to pronounce isotope (audio)
: any of the forms of an element that differ in the number of neutrons in an atom
isotopic adjective
isotopically adverb

Medical Definition

isotope

noun
iso·​tope ˈī-sə-ˌtōp How to pronounce isotope (audio)
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
isotopic adjective
isotopically adverb
isotopy noun
plural isotopies

More from Merriam-Webster on isotope

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