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spallation

American  
[spaw-ley-shuhn] / spɔˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

Physics.

  1. a nuclear reaction in which several nucleons are released from the nucleus of an atom.

spallation British  
/ spəˈleɪʃən /

noun

  1. physics a type of nuclear reaction in which a photon or particle hits a nucleus and causes it to emit many other particles or photons

"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

Etymology

Origin of spallation

First recorded in 1945–50; spall + -ation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Two general types of reactions, known as spallation and fragmentation, are distinguished.

From LRL Accelerators The 184-Inch Synchrocyclotron by Laboratory, Lawrence Radiation

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.