RADIOACTIVE DECAY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does radioactive decay mean? 

• RADIOACTIVE DECAY (noun)
  The noun RADIOACTIVE DECAY has 1 sense:

1. the spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation

  Familiarity information: RADIOACTIVE DECAY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RADIOACTIVE DECAY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

decay; disintegration; radioactive decay

Hypernyms ("radioactive decay" is a kind of...):

nuclear reaction ((physics) a process that alters the energy or structure or composition of atomic nuclei)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "radioactive decay"):

alpha decay (radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus that is accompanied by the emission of an alpha particle)

beta decay (radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus that is accompanied by the emission of a beta particle)

 Context examples 

A unit of radioactive decay expressed in atoms of radioactive material that decay over a period of time equal to sixty seconds.

(Disintegration per Minute, NCI Thesaurus)

The amount diminishes due to 2 concurrent processes: radioactive decay, and clearance from the system.

(Effective Half-life, NCI Thesaurus)

Radiation of neutrons during radioactive decay.

(Neutron Radiation, NCI Thesaurus)

A unit of radioactive decay expressed in atoms of radioactive material that decay over a period of time equal to one second.

(Disintegration per Second, NCI Thesaurus)

Such speedy particles are collectively called “dark radiation” and include previously known particles like neutrinos, which are created in nuclear reactions and radioactive decays.

(Measuring Growth of Universe Reveals a Mystery, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

This is entirely separate from any radioactive decay that may or may not be present.

(Biological Half-Life, NCI Thesaurus)

Radiation of beta particles during radioactive decay.

(Beta Radiation, NCI Thesaurus)