allotrope

[ al-uh-trohp ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. one of two or more existing forms of an element:

   Graphite and diamond are allotropes of carbon.

allotrope

/ ˈæləˌtrəʊp /

noun

1. any of two or more physical forms in which an element can exist

   diamond and graphite are allotropes of carbon

allotrope

/ ăl′ə-trōp′ /

1. Any of several crystalline forms of a chemical element. Charcoal, graphite, and diamond are all allotropes of carbon.

Word History and Origins

Origin of allotrope¹

First recorded in 1885–90; allo- + -trope

Example Sentences

Activated charcoal has been used in hospitals to prevent poisons and drug overdoses, as the high surface area of the specific carbon allotrope in activated carbon prevents microscopic substances from being absorbed by the body.

From Salon

The museum's Web site speculates that Cumberland locals first struck graphite some five centuries ago, when a violent storm uprooted trees and unearthed vast stores of the carbon allotrope.

From Scientific American

Take all this stuff, for instance; especially their ability to transform iron into a fluid allotrope, and in that form to use its atomic—nuclear?—energy as power.

From Project Gutenberg

Black-lead—or, as we term it, graphite—of which I have several specimens here—is simply carbon—an allotrope of carbon—the same elementary substance, notwithstanding, as the diamond.

From Project Gutenberg

Take all this stuff, for instance; especially their ability to transform iron into a fluid allotrope, and in that form to use its intra-atomic energy as power.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• gem
• jewel
• rhinestone