radioactivity — the emission of ionizing radiation or particles caused by the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the emission of ionizing radiation or particles caused by the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌreɪdioʊækˈtɪvəti/
Example Sentences
- The Geiger counter clicked rapidly, indicating high radioactivity in the abandoned laboratory.
- Marie Curie discovered radioactivity and won Nobel Prizes, but her notebooks are still radioactive today!
- The banana's natural radioactivity is so low that you'd need to eat 10 million bananas at once to get radiation poisoning.
radioactivity
NOUN[/ˌreɪdioʊækˈtɪvəti/]
the emission of ionizing radiation or particles caused by the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei
Atomic nuclei emitting dangerous radiation
Radioactivity sparks creative activity!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Coined by Marie Curie in 1899 to describe the properties of radiation-emitting substances. The term combines the Latin 'radius' (ray or beam of light) and 'activus' (active or energetic), literally meaning 'the quality of actively emitting rays'.
Breakdown
radio- (from Latin radius, meaning ray) + -active (from Latin activus, meaning active or energetic) + -ity (suffix forming nouns denoting a quality or state).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The Geiger counter clicked rapidly, indicating high radioactivity in the abandoned laboratory.”
“Marie Curie discovered radioactivity and won Nobel Prizes, but her notebooks are still radioactive today!”
“The banana's natural radioactivity is so low that you'd need to eat 10 million bananas at once to get radiation poisoning.”
“Scientists study the radioactivity of ancient rocks to determine the age of the Earth.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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