---
title: radioactive — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «radioactive» in the school dictionary: Something radioactive gives off strong, invisible energy called radiation because the centres of its atoms are breaking apart. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

<!-- md -->
[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/radioactive/)

<!-- crumbs -->
[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/) / [school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/) / [R](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/) / radioactive

# radioactive

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Something, strong invisible energy, centres, Radioactive, everyone, Uranium · **What happens:** give off, call, break apart, describe, stay away, be · **To what, where:** strong invisible energy, radiation, something, radioactive elements, Radioactive waste, radioactive substances · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«radioactive» in the school dictionary: its 2 meanings for a pupil and its 8 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [radioactive in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/radioactive.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Something radioactive gives off strong, invisible energy called radiation because the centres of its atoms are breaking apart.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:m1:1
# text = Something radioactive gives off strong, invisible energy called radiation because the centres of its atoms are breaking apart.
1	Something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	3	nsubj	_	_
2	radioactive	radioactive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	1	amod	_	_
3	gives	give	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	off	off	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	strong	strong	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	5	punct	_	_
7	invisible	invisible	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
8	energy	energy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
9	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	acl	_	_
10	radiation	radiation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	xcomp	_	_
11	because	because	SCONJ	IN	_	18	mark	_	_
12	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	13	det	_	_
13	centres	centre	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	18	nsubj	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	its	its	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	16	nmod:poss	_	_
16	atoms	atom	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nmod	_	_
17	are	be	AUX	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	18	aux	_	_
18	breaking	break	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	9	advcl	_	_
19	apart	apart	ADV	RB	_	18	advmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give off** | present | Something | strong invisible energy |  |  |  |  | vn substance\_emission-43.4 «NP V NP»: agent=Source energy=Theme |
| 2 | **call** | participle | strong invisible energy *not said here* | radiation |  |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **break apart** | present · progressive | the centres of radiation's atoms |  |  |  |  | apart *property* | vn break-45.1 «NP.patient V»: agent=Patient |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Meaning 2 {#m2}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: informal, joking — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Radioactive can describe something so unpopular or dangerous that everyone stays away from it.

<!-- fold The tree, 14 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:m2:1
# text = Radioactive can describe something so unpopular or dangerous that everyone stays away from it.
1	Radioactive	Radioactive	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	3	aux	_	_
3	describe	describe	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
4	something	something	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Ind	3	obj	_	_
5	so	so	ADV	RB	_	6	advmod	_	_
6	unpopular	unpopular	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	dangerous	dangerous	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	conj	_	_
9	that	that	SCONJ	IN	_	11	mark	_	_
10	everyone	everyone	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Tot	11	nsubj	_	_
11	stays	stay	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	advcl	_	_
12	away	away	ADV	RB	_	11	advmod	_	_
13	from	from	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
14	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **describe** | can | Radioactive | something |  |  |  |  | vn characterize-29.2-1-1 «NP V NP S\_ING»: agent=Agent something=Theme |
| 2 | **stay away** | present | everyone |  |  |  |  | away *property* | vn exist-47.1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Uranium is radioactive.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x1:1
# text = Uranium is radioactive.
1	Uranium	uranium	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	3	cop	_	_
3	radioactive	radioactive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | Uranium |  |  |  |  | radioactive *property* | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Marie Curie studied radioactive elements.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x2:1
# text = Marie Curie studied radioactive elements.
1	Marie	Marie	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	Curie	Curie	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	flat	_	_
3	studied	study	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	radioactive	radioactive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	amod	_	_
5	elements	element	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **study** | past | Marie | radioactive elements |  |  |  |  | vn learn-14-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent element=Topic |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Radioactive waste must be stored safely for thousands of years.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x3:1
# text = Radioactive waste must be stored safely for thousands of years.
1	Radioactive	radioactive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	2	amod	_	_
2	waste	waste	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj:pass	_	_
3	must	must	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	5	aux	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	stored	store	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
6	safely	safely	ADV	RB	_	5	advmod	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
8	thousands	thousand	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	5	obl	_	_
9	of	of	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	years	year	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **store** | must · passive |  | Radioactive waste |  |  |  | for thousands of years; safely *property* | vn keep-15.2 «NP V NP»: subject=Theme |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The area around Chernobyl is still radioactive.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x4:1
# text = The area around Chernobyl is still radioactive.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	area	area	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
3	around	around	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	Chernobyl	Chernobyl	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
6	still	still	ADV	RB	_	7	advmod	_	_
7	radioactive	radioactive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | present | the area around Chernobyl |  |  |  | still | radioactive *property* | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Doctors use radioactive substances to find and treat illnesses.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x5:1
# text = Doctors use radioactive substances to find and treat illnesses.
1	Doctors	doctor	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
2	use	use	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	radioactive	radioactive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	4	amod	_	_
4	substances	substance	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obj	_	_
5	to	to	PART	TO	_	6	mark	_	_
6	find	find	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	2	advcl	_	_
7	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	treat	treat	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	6	conj	_	_
9	illnesses	illness	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present | Doctors | radioactive substances |  |  |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent substance=Patient |
| 2 | **find** | to-infinitive | Doctors *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V what S\_INF»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **treat** | infinitive | Doctors *not said here* | illnesses |  |  |  |  | vn equip-13.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent illness=Recipient |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
You cannot see, hear or smell radiation, so workers wear special badges to measure it.

<!-- fold The tree, 16 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x6:1
# text = You cannot see, hear or smell radiation, so workers wear special badges to measure it.
1	You	you	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Person=2|PronType=Prs	4	nsubj	_	_
2	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	4	aux	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	4	advmod	_	_
4	see	see	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
6	hear	hear	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	conj	_	_
7	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	8	cc	_	_
8	smell	smell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	4	conj	_	_
9	radiation	radiation	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	13	punct	_	_
11	so	so	ADV	RB	_	13	advmod	_	_
12	workers	worker	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	nsubj	_	_
13	wear	wear	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	4	parataxis	_	_
14	special	special	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	15	amod	_	_
15	badges	badge	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	13	obj	_	_
16	to	to	PART	TO	_	17	mark	_	_
17	measure	measure	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	13	advcl	_	_
18	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	17	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
19	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **see** | can | You |  |  |  |  |  | vn comprehend-87.2-1-1 «NP V»: agent=Experiencer |
| 2 | **hear** | infinitive | You *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1-1-1 «NP V PP.stimulus»: agent=Experiencer |
| 3 | **smell** | infinitive | You *not said here* | radiation |  |  |  |  | vn see-30.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Experiencer radiation=Stimulus |
| 4 | **wear** | present | workers | special badges |  |  |  |  | vn wipe\_manner-10.4.1-1 «NP V NP.source»: agent=Agent badge=Source |
| 5 | **measure** | to-infinitive | workers *not said here* | radiation |  |  |  |  | vn register-54.1-2-1 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme it=Value |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
In comics, a radioactive spider gave Peter Parker his powers.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x7:1
# text = In comics, a radioactive spider gave Peter Parker his powers.
1	In	in	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	comics	comic	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	2	punct	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	radioactive	radioactive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	spider	spider	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
7	gave	give	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
8	Peter	Peter	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	iobj	_	_
9	Parker	Parker	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	8	flat	_	_
10	his	his	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	11	nmod:poss	_	_
11	powers	power	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **give** | past | a radioactive spider | spider's powers | Peter | comics |  |  | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP-Dative NP»: agent=Agent peter=Recipient power=Theme |

## Example 8 {#x8}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
After the scandal, the singer was radioactive — no company would hire him. (informal)

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 1:* After the scandal, the singer was radioactive — no company would hire him.

<!-- fold The tree, 12 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x8:1
# text = After the scandal, the singer was radioactive — no company would hire him.
1	After	after	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
2	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
3	scandal	scandal	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
4	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	3	punct	_	_
5	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	singer	singer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nsubj	_	_
7	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
8	radioactive	radioactive	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	_
9	—	-	PUNCT	:	_	13	punct	_	_
10	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	11	det	_	_
11	company	company	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nsubj	_	_
12	would	would	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	13	aux	_	_
13	hire	hire	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	8	conj	_	_
14	him	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	13	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is** | past | the singer |  |  |  | after the scandal | radioactive *property* | tree rules |
| 2 | **hire** | would | no company | him *= he* |  |  |  |  | vn get-13.5.1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent he=Theme |

<!-- .note -->
*Sentence 2:* (informal)

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:radioactive:x8:2
# text = (informal)
1	(	(	PUNCT	-LRB-	_	2	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	informal	informal	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
3	)	)	PUNCT	-RRB-	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

<!-- pn -->
- ← previous: [radio](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/radio/)
- next →: [radioactivity](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/radioactivity/)
- ↑ back to [R in school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/)