first strike

noun

1. the initial use of nuclear weapons in a conflict, in which the attacker tries to destroy the adversary's strategic nuclear forces.

first-strike

adjective

1. (of a nuclear missile) intended for use in an opening attack calculated to destroy the enemy's nuclear weapons

Word History and Origins

Origin of first strike¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

The U.S. had achieved the first-strike capability it had long been seeking.

From The Daily Beast