China syndrome
noun
a hypothetical nuclear-reactor accident in which the fuel would melt through the floor of the containment structure and burrow into the earth.
Origin of China syndrome
1First recorded in 1970–75; from the jocular notion that the hot reactor core would pass through to the other side of the earth
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use China syndrome in a sentence
One of my mentors and friend Jim Bridges was the director of The China syndrome with Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas.
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