atomic pile

American  

noun

Physics.

1. reactor.

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atomic pile British  

noun

1. the original name for a nuclear reactor

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atomic pile Scientific  

1. An early type of nuclear reactor whose core consisted of layers of graphite block interspersed with uranium, designed to create a sustained fission reaction.

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Etymology

Origin of atomic pile

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

atomic pile

The tenth anniversary of the first chain reaction in an atomic pile was celebrated at: 1.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ordinary steel rings are put in the AEC's atomic pile at Oak Ridge and "cooked" for a month in neutrons.

From Time Magazine Archive

Delayed neutrons make an atomic pile possible: they allow time for adjusting its speed of reaction.

From Time Magazine Archive

Gangling John Henry is a goodhearted scientist who has discovered a mildly radioactive substance called Taurum while experimenting with gold at an atomic pile.

From Time Magazine Archive

In this cave, Heisenberg had been trying to build an atomic pile, similar to the one made by Enrico Fermi on the squash court in Chicago.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin