a naturally occurring or artificially created radioactive isotope of a chemical element: usedin medical therapy, biological research, etc.
radioisotope in American English
(ˌreidiouˈaisəˌtoup)
noun
a radioactive isotope, usually artificially produced: used in physical and biologicalresearch, therapeutics, etc
Derived forms
radioisotopic (ˌreidiouˌaisəˈtɑpɪk)
adjective
Word origin
[1940–45; radio- + isotope]This word is first recorded in the period 1940–45. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Rh factor, airlift, blockbuster, set-aside, snorkelradio- is a combining form with the meanings “dealing with radiant energy” (radiometer), “employing or dealing with radio waves” (radioacoustics; radiolocation; radiotelephone), “emitting rays as a result of the breakup of atomic nuclei” (radioactive; radiocarbon), “characterized by, employing or dealing with such rays” (radiography; radiopaque; radiotherapy)
Examples of 'radioisotope' in a sentence
radioisotope
Around that you would have multiple layers to contain the radioisotope.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The radioisotope laboratory he set up there evolved into an important clinical resource.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
For example, the harm from ingested radioisotope is likely to be higher than that from an equivalent external exposure.
The Scientist (2000)
Additionally, these methods are either unsuitable for high-throughput analyses or require the use of a radioisotope.
The Scientist (2000)
But he was more successful in measuring radioactivity (from the radioisotope chlorine-36) in meteorites.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Nuclear medicine is a diagnostic process whereby a patient is injected with a radioisotope that emits gamma rays.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Resolution can be as low as 5 µm for fluorescence images and 10 µm for radioisotope images.