balance of terror


noun
  1. the distribution of nuclear arms among nations such that no nation will initiate an attack for fear of retaliation: maintaining the balance of terror between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Origin of balance of terror

1
First recorded in 1955–60

Words Nearby balance of terror

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Cultural definitions for balance of terror

balance of terror

The balance of power between nations that are equipped with nuclear weapons, stemming from their fear of mutual annihilation in a nuclear war.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.