radioactive decay

noun Physics.
decay ( def 8 ).

Origin:
1960–65

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
radioactive decay
 
n
Sometimes shortened to: decay, Also called: disintegration disintegration of a nucleus that occurs spontaneously or as a result of electron capture. One or more different nuclei are formed and usually particles and gamma rays are emitted

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Radioactive decay is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
radioactive decay   (rā'dē-ō-āk'tĭv)  Pronunciation Key 
The spontaneous transformation of an unstable atomic nucleus into a lighter one, in which radiation is released in the form of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, and other particles. The rate of decay of radioactive substances such as carbon 14 or uranium is measured in terms of their half-life. See also decay, radioisotope.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Materials that emit this kind of radiation are said to be radioactive and to
  undergo radioactive decay.
Hence, there is a rapid reduction in the inventory and radiation dose rate
  because of natural radioactive decay.
Ionization is also triggered by ultraviolet light, fires and the radioactive
  decay of certain elements.
The point of the experiment is that radioactive decay is a quantum process.
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