meltdown: Meaning and Definition of

melt•down

Pronunciation: (melt'doun"), [key]
— n.
  1. the melting of a significant portion of a nuclear-reactor core due to inadequate cooling of the fuel elements, a condition that could lead to the escape of radiation.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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