photonuclear

[ foh-toh-noo-klee-er, -nyoo- or, by metathesis, -kyuh-ler ]

/ ˌfoʊ toʊˈnu kli ər, -ˈnyu- or, by metathesis, -kyə lər /

adjective Physics.

of, relating to, or caused by the collision of high-energy photons with the nucleus of an atom.

Nearby words

photonegative, photoneutron, photonic, photonics, photonovel, photonuclear, photooxidation, photopathic, photopathy, photoperceptive, photoperiod

Origin of photonuclear

First recorded in 1940–45; photo- + nuclear

Pronunciation note

See nuclear.

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

British Dictionary definitions for photonuclear

photonuclear

/ (ˌfəʊtəʊˈnjuːklɪə) /

adjective

physics of or concerned with a nuclear reaction caused by a photon

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