reactor

noun

re·​ac·​tor rē-ˈak-tər 

1

: one that reacts

2

: a device (such as a coil, winding, or conductor of small resistance) used to introduce reactance into an alternating-current circuit

3

a

: a vat for an industrial chemical reaction

b

: a device for the controlled release of nuclear energy (as for producing heat)

Examples of reactor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some survivors live in nearby villages, and some wildlife has come to occupy Chernobyl since the nuclear disaster, which began after a routine reactor systems test went wrong. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024

Its reactor features a single, extremely powerful magnet levitating inside a vacuum chamber about 16 feet wide, which looks like a steel donut on legs. —Laura Paddison, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024

The plant’s owner, Constellation Energy (CEG), will spend $1.6 billion over the next four years to restart its undamaged Unit 1 reactor, betting that nuclear has the potential to deliver a massive revenue boost. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024

The federal agency has teamed up with NuScale Power Corp. to develop the reactor technology at the Idaho National Laboratory. —Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reactor

• atomic reactor
• hyper-reactor
• nuclear reactor

Kids Definition

reactor

noun

re·​ac·​tor rē-ˈak-tər 

1

: one that reacts

2

: a device for the controlled release of nuclear energy (as for producing heat)

Medical Definition

reactor

noun

re·​ac·​tor rē-ˈak-tər 

1

: one that reacts: as

a

: a chemical reagent

b

: an individual reacting to a stimulus

c

: an individual reacting positively to a foreign substance (as in a test for disease)

reactors to tuberculin

2

a

: a piece of equipment in which a chemical reaction and especially an industrial chemical reaction is carried out

b

: a device for the controlled release of nuclear energy (as for producing heat)