control rod

American  

noun

1. a neutron-absorbing material, as boron or cadmium, in the shape of a rod or other configuration, that can be moved into or out of the core of a nuclear reactor to regulate the rate of fission.

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control rod British  

noun

1. one of a number of rods or tubes containing a neutron absorber, such as boron, that can be inserted into or retracted from the core of a nuclear reactor in order to control its rate of reaction

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Etymology

Origin of control rod

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

control rod

“I’m meeting all these people that are like, ‘I feel like this control rod could get longer,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2024

It’s easy to remove the control rod by turning a nut on the tailpiece pipe.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 27, 2023

Palisades is out of nuclear fuel, needs to fix a control rod drive seal issue, and may need a new company to operate it, and a buyer for the power it generates, analysts have said.

From Reuters ● Nov. 15, 2022

At every step of the process Fermi calculated the expected neutron emission, and slowly removed a control rod to confirm his expectations.

From Scientific American ● Dec. 3, 2017

That is, the mechanism was put into operation by pulling a wire running from the pilot to a lever actuating the cam which moved the control rod.

From The Wright Brothers' Engines and Their Design by Hobbs, Leonard S.