| a hypothetical nuclear-reactor accident in which the fuel would melt through the floor of the containment structure and burrow into the earth. |
| Main Entry: | China syndrome |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | a hypothetical sequence of events following a nuclear reactor meltdown, in which the core melts through its container and deep into the earth |
| Etymology: | from China's being on the opposite side of the earth from a U.S. nuclear reactor |