allotrope

A1L1L1O1T1R1O1P3E1
UK/ˈæ.lə.tɹəʊp/

noun

Any form of an element that has a distinctly different molecular structure to another form of the same element, with different physical properties and often different chemical properties.

OriginAncient Greek ἄλλος →
First used 1847Scrabble 11
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounallotrope (plural allotropes)

plural allotropes

  1. chemistryAny form of an element that has a distinctly different molecular structure to another form of the same element, with different physical properties and often different chemical properties.First known use 1847
  2. human sciencesAn other form, a different shape of a lexical unit.
  3. human sciencesAn alternative shape of a cognitive structure.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἄλλος“other”
  2. Englishallotrope

Back-formation from allotropy, as allo- + -trope, from Ancient Greek ἄλλος (állos, “other”), and τρόπος (trópos, “way, manner”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan al·lòtrop
  • al·lòtropelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Chinese Mandarin 同素異形體 /同素异形体
  • 同素異形體 /同素异形体 (tóngsùyìxíngtǐ)element form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Finnish allotrooppi
  • allotrooppielement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
French allotrope
  • allotropeelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
German Allotrop
  • Allotropelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Greek αλλότροπα
  • αλλότροπα (allótropa)element form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Hindi अपररूप
  • अपररूप (aparrūp)element form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Hungarian allotróp
  • allotrópelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Irish allatróp
  • allatrópelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Italian allotropo
  • allotropoelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Māori āhuatini
  • āhuatinielement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Polish alotrop
  • alotropelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Portuguese alótropo
  • alótropoelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Russian аллотро́пия
  • аллотро́пия (allotrópija)element form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Spanish alótropo
  • alótropoelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Tagalog kamulkap
  • kamulkapelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Turkish allotrop
  • allotropelement form of different molecular structure to another form of the same element
Cite this entry
APA

allotrope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allotrope

MLA

“allotrope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allotrope. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “allotrope,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allotrope.

Source: allotrope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.