Phrase guide

decay chain

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A series of nuclides, such that one nuclide radioactively decays into another, which decays into another, and so on, until a stable nuclide is reached. For example, uranium-238 must undergo eight alpha decays and six beta decays in order to become stable lead-206; intermediate nuclides include uranium-234, radium-226, and radon-222.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: nuclear physics

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Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: chaîne de désintégration — Translations
  • German: Zerfallsreihe — Translations
  • Italian: catena di decadimento — Translations