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cobalt 60

noun Chemistry.
  1. 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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Origin of cobalt 60

First recorded in 1945–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cobalt 60

Historical Examples

  • Nothing happened although the board showed the gauge's cobalt-60 beta and gamma still hot.

    The Thirst Quenchers

    Rick Raphael

cobalt 60 in Culture

cobalt 60

[(koh-bawlt)]

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

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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.