Isolating

ˈaɪsəleɪtɪŋ

verbmedium📊CommonGeneral
2 meanings3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To set apart from others; to detach or separate; to place or keep apart from others, as by placing in quarantine.

ˈaɪsəleɪtɪŋ

verbneutralmedium
General

To set apart from others; to detach or separate.

The researchers are isolating the gene responsible for the disease.

💡 Simply: Imagine you have a bunch of kids playing, and one is sick. Isolating them means keeping them separate so they don't spread the germs. Like when you put your favorite toys in a special box, just for you!

👶 For kids: To separate someone or something from other people or things.

More Examples

2

She felt isolated after moving to a new city.

3

The quarantine measures were taken to isolate infected individuals.

How It's Used

Science

"Scientists are isolating the virus to study its properties."

Social

"The pandemic has led to many people isolating themselves from others."

2

Serving to isolate; used for preventing something from being transmitted or transferred, such as heat or sound.

ˈaɪsəleɪtɪŋ

adjectiveneutralmedium
General

That which is designed to prevent something from transferring through.

The isolating walls kept the noise from disturbing the neighbours.

💡 Simply: Imagine you have a really loud speaker and you put it inside of a room designed to keep out sound, so you don't bother your family. The room is isolating the noise!

👶 For kids: The ability to keep something separate from other things, like how a special box protects your toys.

More Examples

2

The isolating layer on the electrical wire protects it.

3

The room's isolating design made for an effective soundproof experience.

How It's Used

Engineering

"The insulating material is used to provide isolation to keep the heat inside the building."

Electronics

"The isolating transformer protects the equipment from the external electrical surges."

Tip:Think of the word as 'isolating' something like a room against noise.

From the Latin word 'insula' meaning 'island,' referring to the act of making something separate or cut off. The verb 'isolate' emerged in the 18th century.

The word 'isolate' and its derivatives were increasingly used in scientific and medical contexts from the 19th century onwards, particularly in relation to disease control and laboratory procedures.

Memory tip

Imagine putting an 'island' (isolate) away from the mainland to keep it separate.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"island (insula)"

isolating factorisolating oneselfisolating the problemisolating a geneisolating material

Common misspellings

isloatingisolatingg

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written