radioactive decay

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noun Physics.

decay(def 8).

Origin of radioactive decay

First recorded in 1960–65

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

Related Words for radioactive decay

fission, fusion

British Dictionary definitions for radioactive decay

radioactive decay

noun

disintegration of a nucleus that occurs spontaneously or as a result of electron capture. One or more different nuclei are formed and usually particles and gamma rays are emittedSometimes shortened to: decay Also called: disintegration

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

radioactive decay in Science

radioactive decay

[rā′dē-ō-ăk′tĭv]

The spontaneous transformation of an unstable atomic nucleus into a lighter one, in which radiation is released in the form of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, and other particles. The rate of decay of radioactive substances such as carbon 14 or uranium is measured in terms of their half-life. See also decay radioisotope.