Severe overheating of the core of a nuclear reactor resulting in the core melting and radiation escaping.

synonym: nuclear meltdown.

Roget 142: cessation, discontinuance, desistance, desinence^†.    intermission, remission; suspense, suspension; interruption; stop; stopping etc. v.; closure, stoppage, halt; arrival etc. 292.    pause, rest, lull, respite, truce, drop; interregnum, abeyance; cloture [U.S.].    dead stop, dead stand, dead lock; finis, cerrado [Sp.]; blowout, burnout, meltdown, disintegration; comma, colon, semicolon, period, full stop; end etc. 67; death etc. 360.    ... show more

Dutch: kernsmelting

A disaster comparable to a nuclear meltdown.