Meanings
plural burning nuclear plasmas
- nuclear physicsA plasma undergoing nuclear fusion where the amount of fusion reactions is sufficient to produce enough energy to maintain the temperature of the plasma at a level necessary for further fusion processes.
Synonyms: burning plasma
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA plasma undergoing nuclear fusion where the amount of fusion reactions is sufficient to produce enough energy to maintain the temperature of the plasma at a level necessary for further fusion processes.
Origin
From burning + nuclear plasma. From being self-sufficient in the production of the amount of heat necessary to continue the nuclear processes, hence "burning" (where in a chemical fire, the reaction produces enough heat to continue reacting in the heat portion of the fire triangle); and being a plasma (a highly ionized gas) where nuclear processes occur.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
burning nuclear plasma. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burning%20nuclear%20plasma
“burning nuclear plasma.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burning%20nuclear%20plasma. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “burning nuclear plasma,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burning%20nuclear%20plasma.
Source: burning nuclear plasma on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.