radioisotope
noun
ra·dio·iso·tope ˌrā-dē-ō-ˈī-sə-ˌtōp 
: a radioactive isotope
radioisotopic
ˌrā-dē-ō-ˌī-sə-ˈtä-pik
adjective -ˈtō-
radioisotopically
ˌrā-dē-ō-ˌī-sə-ˈtä-pi-k(ə-)lē
adverb 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Every year their batteries lose up to 4 watts of power due to the decay of plutonium-238, the radioisotope that fuels them. 
Sumeet Kulkarni, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2022 Though the presence of this radioisotope in sediment does not neatly translate into contamination in soil or food, the finding does suggest the possibility of danger to ecosystems and people. Hart Rapaport, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2022 Job description: Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment. Zachary Smith, cleveland, 29 Mar. 2022 Personnel remain at the facility, which is used for research, development and radioisotope production for medical and industrial applications. NBC News, 18 Mar. 2022 Most recently, the lab helped power NASA's Mars rover Perseverance with a radioisotope power system, which converts heat generated by the natural decay of plutonium-238 into electrical power. Keith Ridler, ajc, 19 Nov. 2021 As a proof of principle, Cederwall and colleagues focused on detection of californium-252, a readily available radioisotope widely used as a proxy for weapons-grade plutonium. Richard Stone, Science | AAAS, 19 May 2021 Voyager and many satellites already use radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 9 Feb. 2021 With a chemical makeup similar to calcium, strontium-90, a radioisotope found in fallout, is easily absorbed in teeth and bones. Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020 See More
Sumeet Kulkarni, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2022 Though the presence of this radioisotope in sediment does not neatly translate into contamination in soil or food, the finding does suggest the possibility of danger to ecosystems and people. Hart Rapaport, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2022 Job description: Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment. Zachary Smith, cleveland, 29 Mar. 2022 Personnel remain at the facility, which is used for research, development and radioisotope production for medical and industrial applications. NBC News, 18 Mar. 2022 Most recently, the lab helped power NASA's Mars rover Perseverance with a radioisotope power system, which converts heat generated by the natural decay of plutonium-238 into electrical power. Keith Ridler, ajc, 19 Nov. 2021 As a proof of principle, Cederwall and colleagues focused on detection of californium-252, a readily available radioisotope widely used as a proxy for weapons-grade plutonium. Richard Stone, Science | AAAS, 19 May 2021 Voyager and many satellites already use radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs). Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 9 Feb. 2021 With a chemical makeup similar to calcium, strontium-90, a radioisotope found in fallout, is easily absorbed in teeth and bones. Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use
1938, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
radioisotope
noun
ra·dio·iso·tope ˌrād-ē-ō-ˈī-sə-ˌtōp
: a radioactive isotope compare radioelement