nuclear

[noo-klee-er, nyoo- or, by metathesis, -kyuh-ler] /ˈnu kli ər, ˈnyu- or, by metathesis, -kyə lər/
adjective
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, relating to, or forming a nucleus.
5.
of, relating to, or like the nuclear family:
nuclear bonds.
noun, Informal.
6.
nuclear energy:
switching to nuclear as a power source.
Origin
1840-50; nucle(us) + -ar1; compare French nucléaire
Related forms
internuclear, adjective
multinuclear, adjective
postnuclear, adjective
Pronunciation note
In pronouncing nuclear, the second and third syllables are most commonly said as
[-klee-er] /-kli ər/ (Show IPA) 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
[-kyuh-ler] /-kyə lər/ . Since
[-klee-er] /-kli ər/ the common pronunciation of ‐cle · ar, might also be represented, broadly, as
[-kluh-yer] /-klə yər/ the
[-kyuh-ler] /-kyə lər/ pronunciation can be seen as coming from a process of metathesis, in which the [l] /l/ and the [y] /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.
Examples from the web for nuclear
  • Alarmism about nuclear proliferation has become common coin in the foreign-policy establishment.
  • Computers crashing worldwide, nuclear warheads being launched, boom boom pow.
  • It should be worried about the world's cadre of nuclear scientists.
  • nuclear energy is considered by many people to be the only realistic alternative to fossil fuel to power our civilization.
  • Likewise, the relationship between matter and energy isn't immediately useful unless you are building a nuclear reactor.
  • The five countries officially recognised as having nuclear weapons are all committed to giving them up.
  • Most nuclear power plants are behemoths, big enough to power a medium-size city.
  • Taking apart a nuclear power plant that has reached the end of its life is a complicated task.
  • The same questions apply to the nuclear option: a lawsuit.
  • Those calculations could change dramatically if the nuclear crisis worsens.
British Dictionary definitions for nuclear

nuclear

/ˈnjuːklɪə/
adjective
1.
of, concerned with, or involving the nucleus of an atom: nuclear fission
2.
(biology) of, relating to, or contained within the nucleus of a cell: a nuclear membrane
3.
of, relating to, forming, or resembling any other kind of nucleus
4.
of, concerned with, or operated by energy from fission or fusion of atomic nuclei: a nuclear weapon
5.
involving, concerned with, or possessing nuclear weapons: nuclear war, a nuclear strike
Word Origin and History for nuclear
adj.

1846, "of or like the nucleus of a cell," from nucleus + -ar, probably by influence of French 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). Alternative adjective nucleal is recorded from 1840.

nuclear in Medicine

nuclear nu·cle·ar (nōō'klē-ər, nyōō'-)
adj.

  1. Of or forming a nucleus.

  2. Of or relating to atomic nuclei.

nuclear in Science
nuclear
  (n'klē-ər)   

  1. Relating to or forming a cell nucleus.

  2. Relating to atomic nuclei.

  3. Using energy derived from the nuclei of atoms through fission or fusion reactions.