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

NuScale continues to focus on the commercialization of its small modular reactor technology, with plans to manage expenses and secure additional customer commitments. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

Repairs were carried out on one of its six reactors following the discovery of a small water leak from the impulse line, which is part of the reactor cooling pump support system, the IAEA said on October 31. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Three Mile Island was shut down in 1979 after a partial meltdown in one of its reactors that remains the most significant nuclear accident in U.S. history. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024

That would represent between 6 and 17 reactors if each SMR averages 300 megawatts. —Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 25 Oct. 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)