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meltdown
[melt-doun]
noun
the melting of a significant portion of a nuclear-reactor core due to inadequate cooling of the fuel elements, a condition that could lead to the escape of radiation.
a quickly developing breakdown or collapse.
a bond-market meltdown;
the meltdown of a marriage.
Informal.a sudden loss of control over one’s feelings or behavior.
My toddler had a meltdown when I tried to leave the house.
meltdown
/ ˈɛˌ岹ʊ /
noun
(in a nuclear reactor) the melting of the fuel rods as a result of a defect in the cooling system, with the possible escape of radiation into the environment
informala sudden disastrous failure with potential for widespread harm, as a stock-exchange crash
informalthe process or state of irreversible breakdown or decline
the community is slowly going into meltdown
meltdown
Severe overheating of a nuclear reactor core, resulting in melting of the core and escape of radiation.
meltdown
The most serious accident that can occur at a nuclear reactor. In a meltdown, the radioactive material in the reactor becomes very hot, melting some or all of the fuel in the reactor. A meltdown may or may not be followed by the release of radioactive material to the environment. A partial meltdown, with very little external radiation, occurred at Three Mile Island (see also Three Mile Island) in 1979; a complete meltdown happened at Chernobyl in 1986.
Word History and Origins
Origin of meltdown1
Example Sentences
Trump made his first public comments on Musk’s meltdown in the Oval Office on Thursday, saying that the billionaire's hatred of the bill was for selfish reasons.
"It ranges from not being able to eat, not being able to sleep, having just a complete meltdown trying to get through the doors, crying," she said.
For 15 minutes, nearly every line of dialogue could be an elevator pitch for a Roland Emmerich movie: earthquakes in California, volcanoes in Germany, a nuclear meltdown in Japan.
Those who witnessed Trump’s meltdown were not overly impressed.
Speaking at a business in the north-west of England later, Sir Keir, 62, will accuse the Reform leader of pledging unfunded tax cuts which, he will warn, could spark an economic meltdown.
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