isolate

[ahy-suh-leyt, ahy-suh-lit, -leyt]

verb (used with object)

isolated, isolating 

1. to set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone.

2. Medicine/Medical.,  to keep (an infected person) from contact with noninfected persons; quarantine.

3. Chemistry, Bacteriology.,  to obtain (a substance or microorganism) in an uncombined or pure state.

4. Electricity.,  to insulate.

5. Television.,  to single out (a person, action, etc.) for a camera closeup.

noun

1. a person, thing, or group that is set apart or isolated, as for purposes of study.

2. Psychology.,  a person, often shy or lacking in social skills, who avoids the company of others and has no friends within a group.

3. Biology.,  an inbreeding population that is isolated from similar populations by physiological, behavioral, or geographic barriers.

4. Also called language isolate. Linguistics.,  a language with no demonstrable genetic relationship, as Basque.

5. something that has been isolated, as a by-product in a manufacturing process.

   an isolate of soy flour.

adjective

1. isolated; alone.

isolate

verb

1. to place apart; cause to be alone

2. med to quarantine (a person or animal) having or suspected of having a contagious disease

3. to obtain (a compound) in an uncombined form

4. to obtain pure cultures of (bacteria, esp those causing a particular disease)

5. electronics to prevent interaction between (circuits, components, etc); insulate

noun

1. an isolated person or group

Other Word Forms

• isolable adjective
• isolator noun
• isolability noun
• reisolate verb (used with object)
• unisolate verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of isolate¹

First recorded in 1800–10; back formation from isolated

Word History and Origins

Origin of isolate¹

C19: back formation from isolated, via Italian from Latin insulātus, literally: made into an island; see _insulate

Example Sentences

Two rounds of Santa Ana winds are forecast to hit Southern California this week, bringing the potential for downed trees and isolated power outages across Los Angeles and elsewhere.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It adds to pressure on the authorities to bolster protection for those at risk - schools, churches and isolated communities.

Read more on BBC

Leo is seeking to make these communities feel less isolated and to encourage them to remain in their ancestral lands.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

England must also tell themselves the hosts' batting issues were more than a few isolated struggles.

Read more on BBC

He urged farmers to "report it urgently" and "isolate infected animals" if they see signs on infection.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• confine 
• detach 
• disconnect 
• disengage 
• divide 
• insulate 
• remove 
• segregate 
• separate 
• sequester