isolate: Meaning and Definition of

i•so•late

Pronunciation: (v.ī'su-lāt", is'u-n., adj.ī'su-lit, -lāt", is'u-), [key]
— v., n., adj. -lat•ed, -lat•ing,
—v.t.
  1. to set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone.
  2. to keep (an infected person) from contact with noninfected persons; quarantine.
  3. to obtain (a substance or microorganism) in an uncombined or pure state.
  4. to insulate.
  5. to single out (a person, action, etc.) for a camera closeup.
—n.
  1. a person, thing, or group that is set apart or isolated, as for purposes of study.
  2. a person, often shy or lacking in social skills, who avoids the company of others and has no friends within a group.
  3. an inbreeding population that is isolated from similar populations by physiological, behavioral, or geographic barriers.
  4. 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.
—adj.
  1. isolated; alone.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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