nuclear fallout

noun

Residual radioactive material in the upper atmosphere which settles down to Earth over a protracted period; typically ash which has been propelled upwards by a nuclear explosion or disaster, sometimes mixed with rain or snow.

Similar
radioactive fallout
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Meanings

nounnuclear fallout (countable and uncountable, plural nuclear fallouts)

plural nuclear fallouts

  1. uncountableResidual radioactive material in the upper atmosphere which settles down to Earth over a protracted period; typically ash which has been propelled upwards by a nuclear explosion or disaster, sometimes mixed with rain or snow.

    Synonyms: radioactive fallout

  2. countableAn event in which this occurs, generally perceived as an ecological disaster due to the distribution of irradiated material over a much larger area than the zone directly affected by the original event.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounResidual radioactive material in the upper atmosphere which settles down to Earth over a protracted period; typically ash which has been propelled upwards by a nuclear explosion or disaster, sometimes mixed with rain or snow.

Similar
radioactive fallout
Also see
radioactive fallout

Origin

In reference to such material falling out of the sky.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَهَاطُل نَوَوِيّ
  • تَهَاطُل نَوَوِيّ (tahāṭul nawawiyy)radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Basque euri erradioaktibo
  • euri erradioaktiboradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Catalan pluja radioactiva
  • pluja radioactivaradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Chinese Mandarin 放射性落下灰
  • 放射性落下灰 (fàngshèxìng luò xià huī)radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Czech radioaktivní spad
  • radioaktivní spadradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Danish radioaktivt nedfald
  • radioaktivt nedfaldradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Dutch fall-out
  • fall-outradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Finnish radioaktiivinen laskeuma
  • radioaktiivinen laskeumaradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
French retombée radioactive
  • retombée radioactiveradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
German radioaktiver Niederschlag
  • radioaktiver Niederschlagradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Greek ραδιενεργό νέφος
  • ραδιενεργό νέφος (radienergó néfos)radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Hebrew נשורת גרעינית
  • נשורת גרעיניתradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Hungarian radioaktív hulladék, radioaktív szennyeződés
  • radioaktív hulladékradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
  • radioaktív szennyeződésradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
  • radioaktív csapadékradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Italian fallout nucleare
  • fallout nucleareradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Japanese 放射性降下物, 死の灰
  • 放射性降下物 (hōsha sei kōka butsu)radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
  • 死の灰 (shinohai)radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Polish opad promieniotwórczy
  • opad promieniotwórczyradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Portuguese chuva radioativa, chuva negra
  • chuva radioativaradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
  • chuva negraradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Romanian precipitație radioactivă
  • precipitație radioactivăradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Russian радиоакти́вный оса́док
  • радиоакти́вный оса́док (radioaktívnyj osádok)radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Slovak rádioaktívny spad
  • rádioaktívny spadradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Spanish lluvia radiactiva
  • lluvia radiactivaradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Swedish radioaktivt nedfall
  • radioaktivt nedfallradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Thai ฝุ่นรังสีนิวเคลียร์
  • ฝุ่นรังสีนิวเคลียร์ (fùn rangsĕe niwklia)radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Turkish radyoaktif bulut
  • radyoaktif bulutradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Ukrainian радіоакти́вний оса́д
  • радіоакти́вний оса́д (radioaktývnyj osád)radioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Welsh alldafliad ymbelydrol
  • alldafliad ymbelydrolradioactive material in the atmosphere which settles down to Earth
Cite this entry
APA

nuclear fallout. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuclear%20fallout

MLA

“nuclear fallout.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuclear%20fallout. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nuclear fallout,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nuclear%20fallout.

Source: nuclear fallout on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.