cobalt 60


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

Origin of cobalt 60

1
First recorded in 1945–50

Words Nearby cobalt 60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cobalt 60 in a sentence

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

    The Thirst Quenchers | Rick Raphael

Cultural definitions for cobalt 60

cobalt 60

[ (koh-bawlt) ]


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

Notes for cobalt 60

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.