nuclear fuel

American  

[noo-klee-er fyoo-uhl, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli ər ˈfju əl, ˈnju- /

noun

1. Physics. fissile or fertile material that undergoes fission in a nuclear reactor.

2. any light element, as hydrogen or helium, that undergoes fusion and gives off energy within the interior of stars.

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nuclear fuel British  

noun

1. a fuel that provides nuclear energy, used in nuclear power stations, nuclear submarines, etc

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Pronunciation

See nuclear ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of nuclear fuel

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nuclear fuel

As the nuclear fuel melted, it combined with zirconium, a highly resistant metal used in the fuel's protective outer layer.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

Blasted into 1.9 billion-year-old stable bedrock in Eurajoki in southwestern Finland, the geological repository will house spent nuclear fuel in holes drilled into the bedrock, where it will remain harmfully radioactive for thousands of years.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Spent nuclear fuel is stored in lead and stainless steel casks and bolted into concrete at a specially built pad at Diablo.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

The detected signal closely matched detailed simulations that accounted for the remaining nuclear fuel inventory and the decay of long-lived fission products.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

The uranium pellets that form nuclear fuel rods are held together by a thin coating, called cladding, of the metal zirconium.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

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