noun · verb · 3 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.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈaɪ.sə.təʊp/
US:ī'sətōp
US:/ˈaɪ.sə.toʊp/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AY1 S AH0 T OW2 P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of two or more forms of an element where the atoms have the same number of protons, but a different number of neutrons within their nuclei. Thus, isotopes have the same atomic number but a different mass number.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: nuclear physics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To define or demonstrate an isotopy of (one map with another).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: mathematics, sciences, topology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
one of two or more atoms with the same atomic number but with different numbers of neutrons
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: atom
Narrower terms: radioisotope, deuterium, heavy hydrogen
History
Etymology
From iso- (“equal”) + -tope (“place”), because the different isotopes of an element always occupy the same place in the periodic table. The term was coined by Scottish doctor Margaret Todd in 1909 and first used publicly on February 27, 1913 by English chemist Frederick Soddy.
Possible back-formation from isotopy.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نَظِير
(naẓīr)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Armenian:
իզոտոպ
(izotop)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Asturian:
isótopu
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Basque:
isotopo
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Belarusian:
ізато́п
(izatóp)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Breton:
izotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Bulgarian:
изото́п
(izotóp)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Catalan:
isòtop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Chinese:
tông-ūi-sò͘
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Chinese Mandarin:
同位素
(tóngwèisù)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Czech:
izotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Danish:
isotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Dutch:
isotoop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Esperanto:
izotopo
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Estonian:
isotoop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Finnish:
isotooppi
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
French:
isotope
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Galician:
isótopo
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Georgian:
იზოტოპი
(izoṭoṗi)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
German:
Isotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Greek:
ισότοπο
(isótopo)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Hindi:
समस्थानिक
(samasthānik)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Hungarian:
izotóp
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Icelandic:
samsæta
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Icelandic:
ísótópur
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Ido:
izotopo
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Irish:
iseatóp
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Italian:
isotopo
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Japanese:
同位体
(dōitai)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Khmer:
អ៊ីសូតូប
(ʼiisoutoup)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Korean:
동위 원소
(dong'wi wonso)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Lithuanian:
izotopas
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Malay:
isotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Māori:
kanoirite
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Norwegian Bokmål:
isotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Norwegian Nynorsk:
isotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Persian:
ایزوتوپ
(izotop)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Polish:
izotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Portuguese:
isótopo
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Romanian:
izotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Russian:
изото́п
(izotóp)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Slovene:
izotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Spanish:
isótopo
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Swedish:
isotop
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Tagalog:
kahasik
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Ukrainian:
ізото́п
(izotóp)
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
Vietnamese:
đồng vị
— atoms of the same element having a different number of neutrons
