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meltdown |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.12 sec. |
meltdownOccurrence in which a huge amount of thermal energy and radiation is released as a result of an uncontrolled chain reaction in a nuclear power reactor. The chain reaction that occurs in the reactor's core must be carefully regulated by control rods, which absorb neutrons, and a moderator, which reduces their energy. If the core becomes too hot, it can melt, releasing large amounts of radiation. See also Chernobyl accident. meltdownThe total cessation of operation of a computer system or network. A system meltdown can be caused by hardware or software. A network meltdown can be caused by hardware, software or excessive traffic. meltdown (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
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The facility was the site of Cold War nuclear and rocket contamination, including a nuclear meltdown in 1959. Merely to be seen next to her was as toxic as the nuclear meltdown at the center of one of her many memorable movies, The China Syndrome. This piece, with its apocalyptic title recalling both the nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island and the Orwellian fears of the sudden pervasiveness of digital information tracking that flowed over us in 1984, bombarded its viewers with multiple projections, video, and sound. |
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