the word for 21.1.2010 is ISOLATE

Today's word is ISOLATE. I really was having problems with this word and what image l would use. I thought about people on their own or something on its own but nothing came into my mind or my journey. Then coming home from Waterloo this evening on a train,  l had my image. I was sitting on the train, which was packed with people, mostly people coming home from work. As l looked around the carraige, l realised the train was packed to the brim and yet no-one was talking. They were either looking at their phones/iphones, reading a book or a newspaper. each commuter was isolated in their own world and space. How sad...no-one talks to each other anymore! Perhaps we would have a happier world if we did!

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isolateverb |ˈīsəˌlāt| [ trans. ]cause (a person or place) to be or remain alone or apart from others : a country that is isolated from the rest of the world.• identify (something) and examine or deal with it separately : you can't isolate stress from the management context.• Chemistry & Biology obtain or extract (a compound, microorganism, etc.) in a pure form.• cut off the electrical or other connection to (something, esp. a part of a supply network).• place (a person or animal) in quarantine as a precaution against infectious or contagious disease.noun |-lit| |ˈaɪsələt| |ˈʌɪs(ə)lət|a person or thing that has been or become isolated : social isolates often become careless of their own welfare.• Biology a culture of microorganisms isolated for study.DERIVATIVESisolable |-ləbəl| |ˈaɪsələbəl| |ˈʌɪs(ə)ləb(ə)l| adjectiveisolatable |ˈaɪsəˈleɪdəbəl| adjectiveisolator |-ˌlātər| |ˈaɪsəˈleɪdər| nounORIGIN early 19th cent. (as a verb): back-formation from isolated .