cobalt 60

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.

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 of cobalt 60

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.

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.