cobalt machine
- noun
- Specialized
:
máquina de cobalto
- The hospital recently acquired a new cobalt machine for advanced cancer treatments.
Examples
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Because the cobalt machine emits gamma rays, strict safety protocols must be followed during operation.
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During the 1970s, many regional centers used the cobalt machine as their main radiotherapy tool.
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The hospital recently acquired a new cobalt machine.
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Many cobalt machines are used in radiation therapy.
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The hospital recently acquired a new cobalt machine for advanced cancer treatments.
-
Because the cobalt machine emits gamma rays, strict safety protocols must be followed during operation.
-
During the 1970s, many regional centers used the cobalt machine as their main radiotherapy tool.
Synonyms
7
3.9
A treatment that uses strong beams of energy to kill cancer cells
2
4.4
Treatment that uses strong rays to destroy cancer cells
Machines used to treat cancer with high-energy rays
How Advanced
- Specialized
1
7.0
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
Knowing 'cobalt' (the metal) and 'machine' (a powered device) allows a learner to infer this refers to a device involving cobalt, so the basic compositional relation is clear. However, the specific medical function—use of cobalt‑60 gamma rays for cancer treatment—is specialized and not predictable from the constituents alone, so full meaning requires domain knowledge.
Etymology
Cobalt machine comes from the metal cobalt, because these cancer machines use a small, radioactive piece of cobalt that gives off strong rays to treat tumours. So, the name today means 'a machine for treating cancer with radiation'.