radioisotope

[ rey-dee-oh-ahy-suh-tohp ]

noun
  1. a radioactive isotope, usually artificially produced: used in physical and biological research, therapeutics, etc.

Origin of radioisotope

1
First recorded in 1940–45; radio- + isotope

Other words from radioisotope

  • ra·di·o·i·so·top·ic [rey-dee-oh-ahy-suh-top-ik], /ˌreɪ di oʊˌaɪ səˈtɒp ɪk/, adjective

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British Dictionary definitions for radioisotope

radioisotope

/ (ˌreɪdɪəʊˈaɪsətəʊp) /


noun
  1. an isotope that is radioactive

Derived forms of radioisotope

  • radioisotopic (ˌreɪdɪəʊˌaɪsəˈtɒpɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for radioisotope

radioisotope

[ rā′dē-ō-īsə-tōp′ ]


  1. A radioactive isotope of a chemical element. Carbon 14 and radon 222 are examples of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.