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nu·cle·ar 
Audio Help [noo-klee-er, nyoo- or, by metathesis, -kyuh-ler] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [noo-klee-er, nyoo- or, by metathesis, -kyuh-ler] Pronunciation Key –adjective
–noun Informal.
| 1. | pertaining to or involving atomic weapons: nuclear war. |
| 2. | operated or powered by atomic energy: a nuclear submarine. |
| 3. | (of a nation or group of nations) having atomic weapons. |
| 4. | of, pertaining to, or forming a nucleus. |
| 5. | of, pertaining to, or like the nuclear family: nuclear bonds. |
| 6. | nuclear energy: switching to nuclear as a power source. |
—Pronunciation note In pronouncing nuclear, the second and third syllables are most commonly said as
Audio Help [-klee-er] Pronunciation Key, a sequence of sounds that directly reflects the spelled sequence ‑cle·ar. In recent years, a somewhat controversial pronunciation has come to public attention, with these two final syllables said as
Audio Help [-kyuh-ler]. Since
Audio Help [-klee-er], the common pronunciation of ‑cle·ar, might also be represented, broadly, as
Audio Help [-kluh-yer], the
Audio Help [-kyuh-ler] pronunciation can be seen as coming from a process of metathesis, in which the [l] and the [y] change places. The resulting pronunciation is reinforced by analogy with such words as molecular, particular, and muscular, and although it occurs with some frequency among highly educated speakers, including scientists, professors, and government officials, it is disapproved of by many.
Audio Help [-klee-er] Pronunciation Key, a sequence of sounds that directly reflects the spelled sequence ‑cle·ar. In recent years, a somewhat controversial pronunciation has come to public attention, with these two final syllables said as
Audio Help [-kyuh-ler]. Since
Audio Help [-klee-er], the common pronunciation of ‑cle·ar, might also be represented, broadly, as
Audio Help [-kluh-yer], the
Audio Help [-kyuh-ler] pronunciation can be seen as coming from a process of metathesis, in which the [l] and the [y] change places. The resulting pronunciation is reinforced by analogy with such words as molecular, particular, and muscular, and although it occurs with some frequency among highly educated speakers, including scientists, professors, and government officials, it is disapproved of by many.| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
nuclear
To learn more about nuclear visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| nu·cle·ar
Audio Help (nōō'klē-ər, nyōō'-) Pronunciation Key
adj.
[From nucleus.] Usage Note: The pronunciation (nōō'kyə-lər), which is generally considered incorrect, is an example of how a familiar phonological pattern can influence an unfamiliar one. The usual pronunciation of the final two syllables of this word is (-klē-ər), but this sequence of sounds is rare in English. Much more common is the similar sequence (-kyə-lər), which occurs in words like particular, circular, spectacular, and in many scientific words like molecular, ocular, and vascular. |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
nuclear
1846, "of or like the nucleus of a cell," from nucleus (q.v.), probably by influence of Fr. nucléaire. Use in atomic physics is from 1914; of weapons, from 1945. Hence nuclear physics (1933), nuclear energy (1941), nuclear war (1954). Nuclear winter coined by Richard Turco, but first attested in article by Carl Sagan in "Parade" magazine, Oct. 30, 1983. General sense of "central" is from 1912. Nuclear family, originally a sociologists' term, is first attested 1949 in "Social Structure," by American anthropologist G.P. Murdock (1897–1985).
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| nuclear | |
adjective | |
| 1. | (weapons) deriving destructive energy from the release of atomic energy; "nuclear war"; "nuclear weapons"; "atomic bombs" [ant: conventional] |
| 2. | of or relating to or constituting the nucleus of an atom; "nuclear physics"; "nuclear fission"; "nuclear forces" |
| 3. | of or relating to or constituting the nucleus of a cell; "nuclear membrane"; "nuclear division" |
| 4. | constituting or like a nucleus; "annexation of the suburban fringe by the nuclear metropolis"; "the nuclear core of the congregation" |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
nuclear1 [ˈnjuːkliə] adjective
using atomic energy
Example: a nuclear power station; nuclear weapons
nuclear2 [ˈnjuːkliə] adjectiveExample: a nuclear power station; nuclear weapons
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of a nucleus
See also: nuclear device, nuclear disarmament, nuclear energy, nuclear reactor, nucleus
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| Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd. |
nuclear
Audio Help (n 'klē-ər) Pronunciation Key
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| The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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