Last Updated：2025/11/23
(idiomatic, nuclear physics, uncountable) A hypothetical kind of catastrophic failure in which a nuclear reactor melts through the floor of its containment system and penetrates the Earth's surface, continuing downward as if (from a Western Hemispheric point of view) traveling through the planet toward China.
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China syndrome
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Source Word
China syndrome
Noun
idiomatic
uncountable
countable
(idiomatic,
nuclear
physics,
uncountable)
A
hypothetical
kind
of
catastrophic
failure
in
which
a
nuclear
reactor
melts
through
the
floor
of
its
containment
system
and
penetrates
the
Earth's
surface,
continuing
downward
as
if
(from
a
Western
Hemispheric
point
of
view)
traveling
through
the
planet
toward
China.
Japanese Meaning
「China syndrome」は、原子炉事故における仮説上の極めて深刻な現象を指す。具体的には、原子炉の炉心が溶融し、制御容器や建物の床を突き破り、地下へと突き進む事態を意味する。これは核物理および事故の文脈で用いられる慣用表現であり、実際には数えられない名詞として扱われる。
Sense（1）
(idiomatic,
nuclear
physics,
uncountable)
A
hypothetical
kind
of
catastrophic
failure
in
which
a
nuclear
reactor
melts
through
the
floor
of
its
containment
system
and
penetrates
the
Earth's
surface,
continuing
downward
as
if
(from
a
Western
Hemispheric
point
of
view)
traveling
through
the
planet
toward
China.
Sense（2）
（ plural ）
