nuclear power
/'nju:kliə'pauə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- Nuclear energy regarded as a source of electricity for the power grid (for civilian use): This refers to the electrical power generated by harnessing the energy released from nuclear reactions, primarily nuclear fission, in a controlled environment like a power plant. It is a major source of baseload electricity for many countries.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The country plans to increase its reliance on nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions.
- The debate over the safety of nuclear power continues.
- This reactor provides nuclear power for over a million homes.
Advanced Usage
- "to go nuclear" (idiom, related): This phrase, while not using "nuclear power" directly, originates from the same domain. It means to escalate a situation to an extreme or confrontational level, often referencing nuclear warfare.
- During the argument, he decided to go nuclear and reveal the secret.
Variants and Related Words
- Nuclear energy (n): Often used interchangeably with "nuclear power" to describe the energy itself, though "nuclear power" more specifically denotes its use for electricity generation.
- Nuclear energy is released during fission.
- Nuclear reactor (n): The device used to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction to produce nuclear power.
- The nuclear reactor is housed in a containment building.
- Nuclear-powered (adj): Describing something that uses nuclear power as its energy source.
- A nuclear-powered submarine.
Synonyms
- Atomic energy: An older, less precise synonym for nuclear energy/power.
- Fission power: A more technical term specifying the fission process used in most current nuclear power plants.
Related Phrases
- Nuclear power plant (n): A thermal power station where the heat source is a nuclear reactor. (Listed here as a related compound term).
- The nuclear power plant is located near the river.
- Nuclear power generation (n): The process of producing electricity from nuclear energy.
- Nuclear power generation produces minimal greenhouse gases during operation.
Related Idioms
- A nuclear option: A drastic or last-resort course of action, derived from the concept of nuclear weapons but sometimes associated with the immense power of nuclear energy.
- Laying off the entire department was the CEO's nuclear option.
Noun
- nuclear energy regarded as a source of electricity for the power grid (for civilian use)