to go thermonuclear
1thermonuclear — [thʉr΄mō no͞o′klē ər, thʉr΄mōnyo͞o′klē ər] adj. [ THERMO + NUCLEAR] Physics 1. designating or of a reaction in which isotopes of a light element, esp. hydrogen, fuse at temperatures of millions of degrees into heavier nuclei 2. designating, of,… …
2thermonuclear — (adj.) 1938 with reference to stars, 1953 of weapons (technically only to describe the hydrogen bomb), from THERMO (Cf. thermo ) + NUCLEAR (Cf. nuclear) …
3thermonuclear — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ relating to or using nuclear fusion reactions that occur at very high temperatures …
4thermonuclear bomb — ▪ fusion device also called hydrogen bomb , or H bomb weapon whose enormous explosive power results from an uncontrolled, self sustaining chain reaction in which isotopes of hydrogen combine under extremely high temperatures to form helium in …
5thermonuclear — adjective Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary Date: 1938 1. of, relating to, or employing transformations in the nuclei of atoms of low atomic weight (as hydrogen) that require a very high temperature for their inception (as in the… …
6thermonuclear — /therr moh nooh klee euhr, nyooh / or, by metathesis, / kyeuh leuhr/, adj. of, pertaining to, or involving a thermonuclear reaction: thermonuclear power. [1935 40; THERMO + NUCLEAR] Pronunciation. See nuclear. * * * …
7thermonuclear reaction — Chem., Physics. a nuclear fusion reaction that takes place between the nuclei of a gas, esp. hydrogen, heated to a temperature of several million degrees. * * * ▪ chemical reaction fusion of two light atomic nuclei into a single heavier… …
8thermonuclear — ther|mo|nu|cle|ar [ˌθə:məuˈnju:kliə US ˌθə:rmouˈnu:kliər] adj thermonuclear weapons use a ↑nuclear reaction, involving the splitting of atoms, to produce very high temperatures and a very powerful explosion ▪ a thermonuclear device …
9thermonuclear — adjective thermonuclear weapons use a nuclear reaction, involving the splitting of atoms, to produce very high temperatures and a very powerful explosion: a thermonuclear device …
10thermonuclear — ther•mo•nu•cle•ar [[t]ˌθɜr moʊˈnu kli ər, ˈnyu [/t]] or, by metathesis, [[t] kyə lər[/t]] adj. 1) phs of, pertaining to, or involving fusion reactions between nuclei of a light element, as hydrogen, that require temperatures of several million… …
