atomic pile
- noun
- /əˈtɑːmɪk paɪl/
- Archaic
:
pila atómica
- This valve was supposed to be used only for repairs, and then only after the atomic pile had been damped.
Examples
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The atomic pile at the University of Chicago was pivotal in demonstrating the feasibility of sustained nuclear reactions.
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The fourth level contains the atomic pile.
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Ah, Miss. Merritt, take him to the atomic pile.
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It used to take sixteen technicians to run a regular atomic pile.
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The scientists monitored the atomic pile carefully to ensure that the fission reactions remained controlled.
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In the early 1940s, Fermi constructed the first functional atomic pile as part of the Manhattan Project.
Synonyms
248
6.3
A machine that uses a controlled nuclear reaction to make energy or new elements
42
4.8
A machine that makes heat and electricity by splitting atoms in a controlled way
2
8.4
An early nuclear reactor used to create a controlled chain reaction
1
4.3
A machine that splits atoms to make energy for electricity or research
A machine that makes nuclear energy by splitting atoms in a controlled chain reaction
How Advanced
- Specialized
24
4.5
- Specialized
42
4.8
- Specialized
248
6.3
- Archaic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'atomic' clearly signals a nuclear context, so a learner can tell the phrase refers to something connected with atomic energy, but the noun 'pile' normally means a heap and does not by itself indicate 'reactor' for most learners. 'Atomic pile' is a historical/technical term where 'pile' has been specialized to mean a reactor, so the full meaning is only partly predictable and requires prior exposure.
Etymology
The noun atomic pile comes from early experiments when scientists built a literal pile, a stack of blocks and metal, so atomic reactions could start and make power. Because people saw a real stack making energy from atoms, atomic pile came to mean 'an early reactor' that made controlled power.