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Severe overheating of a nuclear reactor core, resulting in melting of the core and escape of radiation.
(noun)
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Informal A disastrous or rapidly developing situation likened to the melting of a nuclear reactor core: "After several corporate meltdowns, only two reporters remain in [the] bureau” ( David Fitzpatrick).
(noun)
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Informal An emotional breakdown
(noun)
American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.