nuke

[nook, nyook]

noun

1. a nuclear or thermonuclear weapon.

2. a nuclear power plant or nuclear reactor.

3. nuclear energy.

   to convert from coal to nuke.

adjective

1. of or relating to a nuclear or thermonuclear weapon or to a nuclear plant.

verb (used with object)

nuked, nuking 

1. to attack, defeat, or destroy with or as if with nuclear weapons.

2. Slang.,  to cook or bake in a microwave oven.

nuke

/ njuːk /

verb

1. to attack or destroy with nuclear weapons

noun

1. a nuclear bomb

2. a military strike with nuclear weapons

3. nuclear power

4. a nuclear power plant

Word History and Origins

Origin of nuke¹

First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening and respelling

Example Sentences

It’s helping the move from coal to fracked oil and natural gas to nukes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Then he demanded that the Senate nuke the filibuster to pass the rest of his unpopular agenda.

Read more on Salon

And Kim’s confidence in his country’s nuclear program is so strong that he has signaled a major policy shift next year, where advances in conventional weaponry will take equal footing with the nukes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Artificial intelligence, nukes, everything out of control, a cultural establishment that hates you.

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Stopping the nuke would give them more time to gather intelligence, but we learn there’s only a 61% chance of intercepting it.

Read more on Los Angeles Times