Meaning & use
allotrope
Last updated
one of two or more different physical or structural forms in which an element can exist.
See it in a sentence
Diamond and graphite are both allotropes of carbon, despite their very different properties.
Ozone is an allotrope of oxygen, formed from three oxygen atoms instead of two.
A note on using this word
Not to be confused with 'isotope' -- allotropes differ in the structural arrangement of the same element, while isotopes differ in the number of neutrons in the atom.
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