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
Words Nearby China syndrome
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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