nuclear winter
noun
the general devastation of life, along with worldwide darkness and extreme cold, that some scientists believe would result from a global dust cloud screening out sunlight following large-scale nuclear detonations.
Nearby words
nuclear threshold, nuclear transfer, nuclear warhead, nuclear waste, nuclear weapon, nuclear winter, nuclear-free zone, nuclearism, nuclearize, nuclease, nucleate
Origin of nuclear winter
First recorded in 1980–85
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British Dictionary definitions for nuclear winter
nuclear winter
noun
a period of extremely low temperatures and little light that, it has been suggested, would occur as a result of a nuclear war
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Culture definitions for nuclear winter
nuclear winter
A theory first put forward in 1983 predicting that a large-scale nuclear exchange would produce enough smoke and soot to lower the temperature of the Earth significantly. Subsequent calculations indicated that the climatic effects would be much less than had originally been claimed, leading to the use of the term nuclear autumn to describe the phenomenon.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
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