meltdown
/ˈmɛltdaʊn/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: meltdowns
Sense 1
Meaning · English
An act or process of melting.
Noun
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
An act or process of melting. — Severe uncontrolled overheating and melting of the fuel in the core of a nuclear reactor, with the potential for radiation to escape; (countable) an instance of this.
Noun
Examples
Thus began by far the gravest crisis in the troubled, 32-year history of commercial atomic power. A catastrophe had occurred over the weekend at the Chernobyl plant, 80 miles north of Kiev, where a reactor meltdown and explosion caused untold death and suffering and raised the prospect of long-term
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “meltdown” mean?
An act or process of melting.
Is “meltdown” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.