meltdown

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun severe overheating of the core of a nuclear reactor resulting in the core melting and radiation escaping
noun a disaster comparable to a nuclear meltdown

From melt (verb) + down (adverb), a deverbal from melt down (verb).

Was Meltdown Monday in '87 just the warm-up? — The Samurai Strategy, Thomas Hoover
That was followed by a long silence, probably an emotional meltdown. — Life Blood, Thomas Hoover

nuclear meltdown

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