nuke

[ nook, nyook ]

/ nuk, nyuk /

Informal.

noun

a nuclear or thermonuclear weapon.

a nuclear power plant or nuclear reactor.

nuclear energy: to convert from coal to nuke.

adjective

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

verb (used with object), nuked, nuk·ing.

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

Slang. to cook or bake in a microwave oven.

Nearby words

Origin of nuke

First recorded in 1945–50; by shortening and respelling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nukes

As indeed it now turns out was the case with nukes and the Cold War.
I Saw Nuclear Armageddon Sitting on My Desk|Clive Irving|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had a fleeting image of long hair, jeans and a “No Nukes” placard.
Truman’s Grandson & Japan’s A-Bomb Survivors: A Story of Reconciliation|Clifton Truman Daniel|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yes, Israel has nukes, and that technology has made Israel safe from symmetrical attack.
Memo to Bibi Netanyahu: It’s Time to Build an Arsenal of Awe|Lloyd Green|December 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Soviets stopped setting off nukes at Nova Zembla after that, owing to international pressure.
Pale Fire and the Cold War: Redefining Vladimir Nabokov’s Masterpiece|Michael Weiss|October 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Specifically, Mr. Obama, you said your policy on Iranian nukes was “prevention,” not “containment” or “deterrence.”
Leslie H. Gelb on Obama’s Dangerous Nuclear Dance|Leslie H. Gelb|April 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for nukes

nuke

/ (njuːk) slang /

verb (tr)

to attack or destroy with nuclear weapons

noun

a nuclear bomb

a military strike with nuclear weapons

nuclear power

mainly US a nuclear power plant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nukes

nuke

short for nuclear weapon, 1959, U.S. military slang (see nuclear). The verb is attested from 1962; the slang sense of "to cook in a microwave oven" is from 1987. Related: Nuked; nuking.

Culture definitions for nukes