One of several nuclides having the same number of neutrons in their
nuclei but differing in the number of protons.
See also: Isotone, from → iso- + tone, from
Gk tonos “strain, tone, mode,” literally, “a stretching,” akin to
teinein “to stretch,” cognate with Pers.
tanidan “to spin, twist, weave”
(Mid.Pers. tanitan; Av. tan- “to stretch, extend;”
cf. Skt. tan- to spin, stretch;" tanoti “stretches,” tantram
“loom;”
Gk. teinein “to stretch, pull tight;” L. tendere “to stretch;
PIE base *ten- “to stretch;” Pers. târ “string,” tân “thread,”
tur “fishing net, net, snare,” and tâl “thread” (Borujerdi dialect)
belong to this family; variants tanta “cobweb,”
tanadu, tafen, kartané, kârtané, kâtené,
Pashtu tanistah “cobweb;” cf. Skt. tantu-
“cobweb, thread, string”).
