nuclear

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj

Pertaining to the nucleus of an atom.
Involving energy released by nuclear reactions (fission, fusion, radioactive decay).
Relating to a weapon that derives its force from rapid release of energy through nuclear reactions.
Having nuclear weapons.
Involving an extreme course of action, or one with severe consequences.
Pertaining to the nucleus of a cell.
Pertaining to a centre around which something is developed or organised; central, pivotal.
Relating to, being of, or comprising the nuclear family.

noun

Nuclear power.
Nuclear weapon

Pronunciation

n(y)o͞okliər /ˈn(j)u.kli.ɚ/ en-ca-nuclear.ogg nyo͞oklî /ˈnjuː.klɪə(ɹ)/ en-uk-nuclear.ogg n(y)o͞okyələr /ˈn(j)u.kjə.lɚ/ en-us-nuclear.ogg

Word forms

nuclear nuclears

Etymology

From Latin nū̆cleus, a contraction of the adjective nuculeus, masculine of feminine nuculea (“pertaining to a small nut”) from nucula + adjectival suffix -eus, -ea, -eum. The Latin nucula + -āris adds up to nuculāris, a term that in English becomes nucular; the Latin nuculea + -āris, becomes Latin nuculeāris (“relative to what pertains to small nut”), later contracted into nuclear. By surface analysis, nucleus + -ar. Compare muscle and Latin mūsculus; muscular and mūsculāris.

Related words

nuclei nucleo- nucleus

Derived words

anti-nuclear antibody anti-nuclear factor anuclear astronuclear binuclear bionuclear burning nuclear plasma centronuclear circumnuclear corticonuclear cytonuclear dinuclear effective nuclear charge electronuclear endonuclear extranuclear geonuclear go nuclear hadronuclear heptanuclear heteronuclear hexanuclear homonuclear hypernuclear infranuclear internuclear intranuclear isonuclear juxtanuclear macronuclear micronuclear mitonuclear mononuclear morphonuclear multinuclear myonuclear neuronuclear nonnuclear nuclear age nuclear airburst nuclear aircraft nuclear-armed nuclear artillery nuclear autumn nuclear battery nuclear binding energy nuclear block nuclear body nuclear bomb nuclear button nuclear cataract nuclear certifiable nuclear certified nuclear chain reaction nuclear charge nuclear chemistry nuclear code nuclear cytoplasm nuclear data nuclear decay

Translations

Armenian: միջուկային Belarusian: я́дзерны Bulgarian: я́дрен Cornish: nuklerek Finnish: ydin- Finnish: ytimeen liittyvä Hindi: नाभिकीय Irish: núicléach Kazakh: ядролық Macedonian: ја́дрен Macedonian: нуклеа́рен Malayalam: ആണവ Norwegian Bokmål: kjernefysisk Norwegian Bokmål: atom- Norwegian Bokmål: kjerne- Norwegian Nynorsk: kjernefysisk Polish: nuklearny Russian: я́дерный

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