China\ syndrome

China\ syndrome
noun informal
From the title of the movie with Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon. the possibility that an industrial nuclear reactor might explode, literally affecting the other side of the planet (as if by eating a hole through the earth all the way to China.)

Antinuclear demonstrators are greatly worried about the China syndrome.


Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". . 1997.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • China Syndrome — For the 1979 film, see The China Syndrome. For The King of Queens episode, see China Syndrome (The King of Queens). Earth cutaway from core to exosphere. The term China syndrome (loss of coolant accident) describes a nuclear reactor operations… …   Wikipedia

  • China syndrome — noun a) A hypothetical kind of catastrophic failure in which a nuclear reactor melts through the floor of its containment system and penetrates the earths surface, continuing downward as if (from a Western Hemispheric point of view) traveling… …   Wiktionary

  • China syndrome — {n.}, {informal} From the title of the movie with Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon. The possibility that an industrial nuclear reactor might explode, literally affecting the other side of the planet (as if by eating a hole through the earth all the way …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • China syndrome — {n.}, {informal} From the title of the movie with Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon. The possibility that an industrial nuclear reactor might explode, literally affecting the other side of the planet (as if by eating a hole through the earth all the way …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • China Syndrome (The King of Queens) — China Syndrome The King of Queens episode Episode no. Season 9 Episode 12, 13 Directed by Rob Schiller Written by …   Wikipedia

  • China Syndrome — noun Etymology: from the notion that the molten reactor contents could hypothetically sink through the earth to reach China Date: 1970 meltdown 1 …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • China syndrome — noun a hypothetical sequence of events following the meltdown of a nuclear reactor, in which the core melts through its containment structure and sinks deep into the earth. Origin 1970s: so named because China is on the opposite side of the earth …   English new terms dictionary

  • China syndrome — Chi′na syn drome n. phs a hypothetical nuclear reactor accident in which the fuel melts down through the reactor and burrows into the earth. (jocularly, to China) • Etymology: 1970–75 …   From formal English to slang

  • China syndrome — /ˈtʃaɪnə sɪndroʊm/ (say chuynuh sindrohm) noun Colloquial the total meltdown of a nuclear reactor. {from the notion that the meltdown is so powerful that the reactor goes right through the ground to China} …  

  • china syndrome — noun Usage: usually capitalized C Etymology: so called from the notion that a molten reactor s contents could theoretically sink through the earth from North America to China : meltdown 1 herein …   Useful english dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”