isolate

/ˈaɪsəleɪt/
verb
  1. To separate something from other things so that it is alone.
    • Farmers isolate sick animals to prevent the disease from spreading.
    • The lab technician worked to isolate the virus from the sample.
    • She tried to isolate the problem by testing each part of the machine.
  2. To keep a person or group apart from others, often to prevent the spread of disease or for protection.
    • During the outbreak, families were asked to isolate themselves at home.
    • The hospital had to isolate the patient with the contagious illness.
    • The witness was isolated from the other suspects for safety.
  3. To identify or focus on a single factor, idea, or element from a larger set.
    • The researcher tried to isolate the key factor that caused the reaction.
    • In the debate, she managed to isolate the main issue.
    • It is difficult to isolate one reason for the team's success.
noun
  1. A person or thing that is set apart from others.
    • In the group project, he was an isolate who rarely spoke.
    • The small island was an isolate, far from the mainland.
    • The scientist studied the isolate under a microscope.
What does "isolate" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean