- a situation in which a rapid rise in the power level of a nuclear reactor, as from a defect in the cooling system, results in the melting of the fuel rods and the release of dangerous radiation
- Informal a fundamental breakdown in a situation, condition, or system: a meltdown of the banking system
noun
- When a nuclear reactor overheats, this is an example of a meltdown.
- When the currency of a country starts to lose value and the economy starts to fall apart, this is an example of a meltdown.
- When the stock market tumbles 1,000 points in a day, this is an example of a meltdown.
The definition of a meltdown is a situation where the fuel in a nuclear reactor overheats and causes the reactor core to melt, or a collapse of something.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"meltdown." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown>.
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meltdown. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown
meltdown
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"meltdown." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown>.
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meltdown. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown
meltdown
noun
- A severe overheating of a nuclear reactor core, resulting in melting of the core and escape of radiation.
- A disastrous situation; a failure or collapse: “No central bank or government institution existed … to halt the meltdown, to stop the sudden run on the banks” ( Evan I. Schwartz )
- Informal An emotional breakdown.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"meltdown." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown>.
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meltdown. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown
Severe overheating of a nuclear reactor core, resulting in melting of the core and escape of radiation.
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"meltdown." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown>.
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meltdown. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown
Noun
(plural meltdowns)
- Severe overheating of the core of a nuclear reactor resulting in the core melting and radiation escaping.
- Four years have passed since the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, but the grim legacy of the Soviet catastrophe is still unfolding.
- A situation being likened to a nuclear meltdown; a crisis.
- Computer engineers were at a loss last night to explain why the Government had been hit by arguably the worst electronic meltdown in the history of Whitehall.
- (figuratively) A tantrum.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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"meltdown." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown>.
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meltdown. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown
meltdown - Computer Definition
The 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.
Computer Desktop Encyclopedia THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher. © 1981-2017 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved.
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"meltdown." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 22 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown>.
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meltdown. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22nd, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Meltdown
Sentence Examples
- Managing Family Meltdown: The Low Arousal Approach and Autism by Linda Woodcock and Andrea Page: This family coping book describes the reasons behind certain behaviors in autism such as tantrums and physical aggression.
- If you are in the middle of a rant about your child or estranged partner, either by yourself, in your head or with your best friend, take a deep breath and honestly ask yourself where the source of your meltdown lies.
- This rarely-discussed segment of the home loan industry suddenly began making international headline news as it took the blame for what may be the worst mortgage industry meltdown in history.
- For dads-to-be, you can choose from lighthearted fare like She's Having a Baby-and I'm Having a Meltdown or informational books like The Everything Father to Be Book.
- As the mortgage industry goes into a period of uncertainty following the mortgage meltdown of 2007, keeping up to date with trends in the home loan market will become increasingly important.
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