nuclear reactor
nounUK /ˈnjuːkliə rɪˈæktə/
US /ˈnuːkliər riˈæktər/
A big machine that makes power by splitting tiny pieces of stuff called atoms.
The nuclear reactor supplies electricity to thousands of homes.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A place where scientists study how atoms split and release energy.
Students visited the nuclear reactor on the university campus.
3. A machine that makes special materials used in medicine and science.
The hospital gets some of its medical materials from a nuclear reactor.
4. A system that creates heat by splitting atoms to make steam.
The nuclear reactor heats water into steam that spins a turbine.