cobalt 60

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noun Chemistry.

a radioactive isotope of cobalt having a mass number of 60 and a half-life of 5.2 years, used chiefly in radiotherapy.

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Nearby words

cob money, cob pie, cobaea, cobalamin, cobalt, cobalt 60, cobalt bloom, cobalt blue, cobalt bomb, cobalt green, cobalt violet deep

Origin of cobalt 60

First recorded in 1945–50

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cobalt 60

Nothing happened although the board showed the gauge's cobalt-60 beta and gamma still hot.
The Thirst Quenchers|Rick Raphael

Culture definitions for cobalt 60

cobalt 60

[ (koh-bawlt) ]

A radioactive isotope produced when neutrons bombard atoms of the element cobalt.

Note

Cobalt 60 is a common substance used in radiation therapy for cancer.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.