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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nuclear fuel

Fusion requires heating and compressing nuclear fuel to make superheated plasma in which atomic nuclei combine, releasing energy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

In a separate announcement Monday, the Chinese commerce ministry said an additional 20 Japanese companies in sectors including drones and nuclear fuel have been added to an export watchlist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

The Russian strike on Chornobyl "partially destroyed" a spent nuclear fuel storage building, according to Ukraine's state-owned nuclear operator, Enerhoatom.

From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026

The doors slide open, revealing the entrance to what is expected to be the world's first permanent repository for radioactive spent nuclear fuel.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 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