Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Relating to or derived from the fusion of atomic nuclei at high temperatures.
- adjective Relating to or characterized by the use of weapons that employ nuclear fusion, especially as distinguished from those that employ only nuclear fission.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Of, or relating to the
fusion ofatomic nuclei athigh temperatures . - adjective Of, or relating to the use of
atomic weapons based on suchfusion , especially as distinguished from those based onfission .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective using nuclear weapons based on fusion as distinguished from fission
Etymologies
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Examples
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The facility also separates lithium-6 from natural lithium for use in thermonuclear weapons.
Should the Israelis Arrest Benny Morris? « Antiwar.com Blog 2008
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The implications of failure, resulting in thermonuclear exchange between the two superpowers during the Cold War, were horrendous.
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And as he found out the back door he chose a game called thermonuclear war.
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Because extremely high temperatures are required in order to initiate fusion reactions, the hydrogen bomb is also known as a thermonuclear bomb.
Archive 2010-02-01 Fresca 2010
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Because extremely high temperatures are required in order to initiate fusion reactions, the hydrogen bomb is also known as a thermonuclear bomb.
Better Things for Better Living or Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky Fresca 2010
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SCHNEIDER: Well, this is part -- the Republicans are circulating it because it's part of what I would call their thermonuclear strategy.
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It works by combining the atom-splitting reactions of a "normal" nuclear bomb with some atom-joining fusion reactions -- this is the physical process that drives our sun, and it's much more powerful (for this reason they're more properly called a thermonuclear bomb).
Fast Company 2010
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It works by combining the atom-splitting reactions of a "normal" nuclear bomb with some atom-joining fusion reactions -- this is the physical process that drives our sun, and it's much more powerful (for this reason they're more properly called a thermonuclear bomb).
Fast Company 2010
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Another design is the implosion assembly method in which the uranium or plutonium is severely compressed with the use of chemical explosives. hydrogen bomb is the other main type of nuclear weapon and is also referred to as a thermonuclear weapon or an H-bomb.
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This article describes the general principles of a fusion device, also called a thermonuclear weapon.
Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium - Recent changes [en] 2008
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