isolates

1. 1
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of isolate.

   The new software isolates the faulty section of code automatically.

   A strict quarantine isolates infected animals from the rest of the herd.

   Note

   Every use of the verb is transitive, so this form always needs an object: something isolates a person, a substance, a bacterial strain, or an electrical component. Its natural partner is from, as in isolates the strain from the culture or isolates the circuit from its power source. The -s form goes only with he, she, it or a singular noun. Every other present-tense subject takes bare isolate.

2. 2
   noun

   Plural of isolate.

   The researchers compared several bacterial isolates collected during the outbreak.

   Basque and a handful of other isolates have no known related languages.

   Note

   A countable noun built on the verb. An isolate is whatever has been isolated, so the plural usually names separated things counted side by side: pure strains of bacteria drawn from a mixed culture, or substances separated in pure form. The same spelling also serves as the present-tense verb. A determiner or number in front (several isolates, these isolates) marks the noun.

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