China syndrome

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noun

a hypothetical nuclear-reactor accident in which the fuel would melt through the floor of the containment structure and burrow into the earth.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

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Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

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Origin of China syndrome

First recorded in 1970–75; from the jocular notion that the hot reactor core would pass through to the other side of the earth

Words nearby China syndrome

Chinandega, China rose, China Sea, China silk, china stone, China syndrome, Chinatown, China tree, chinaware, China White, chin ball

How to use China syndrome in a sentence

He did travel to China and Australia while the story was unfolding.
Why Mexicans Are Enraged by Obama’s Big Tuesday Meeting|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Advanced maternal age dramatically increases the risk of maternal mortality as well as birth defects like Down Syndrome.
Men Will Someday Have Kids Without Women|Samantha Allen|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In 1957, the islands came under repeated shelling by Mainland--or as it was then called, “Red”-- China.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The two islands are now tourist sites for visitors from Taiwan and mainland China.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

At least 70 percent of the children were adopted from overseas, including Russia, China, Ethiopia and Ukraine.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking|Tina Traster|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Distance, the uncertain light, and imagination, magnified it to a high wall; high as the wall of China.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
I shipped for a voyage to Japan and China, and spent several more years trying to penetrate the forbidden fastnesses of Tibet.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
The ships from China do not come, and it is with their merchandise that our ships must go to Nueva Spaña.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Black Sheep was sent to the drawing-room and charged into a solid tea-table laden with china.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
In former years, Korea had paid an annual tribute or tax to China, but for some time it had been held back by this king.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike