nuclear weapon

noun
1.
an explosive device whose destructive potential derives from the release of energy that accompanies the splitting or combining of atomic nuclei.
Origin
1945-50
Examples from the web for nuclear weapon
  • Over time, the guarded knowledge of how to build a nuclear weapon has only widened.
  • If that same container held chemical or biological agents, or a nuclear weapon, the social costs would be incalculable.
  • They have plans that can be used to make a nuclear weapon.
  • We do not know with confidence the location of any nuclear weapon-related facilities.
  • Plutonium pits are a critical core component of a nuclear weapon.
  • Such power levels are important in ensuring the safety of the nation's nuclear weapon stockpile.
nuclear weapon in Science
nuclear weapon  
A weapon whose destructive power comes from nuclear energy; an atomic bomb or a hydrogen bomb.
nuclear weapon in Culture

nuclear weapon definition


Any weapon that employs a nuclear reaction for its explosive power. Nuclear weapons include ballistic missiles, bombs (see atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb), artillery rounds, and mines.