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Glite Dictionary
nuclear propulsion

nuclear propulsion

6.1
A system that uses a nuclear reactor to power and move ships or spacecraft
  • noun
  • /ˈnjuːklɪər prəˈpʌlʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : propulsión nuclear
  • The submarine uses nuclear propulsion to travel underwater without needing to surface frequently.

Examples

  • The Messiah itself will be powered by an experimental nuclear propulsion system that was originally created for a very different purpose.

    Deep Impact (1998)

  • NASA is researching nuclear propulsion to enable faster travel to Mars.

  • The new spacecraft will feature a nuclear propulsion system that can significantly reduce travel time to distant planets.

Surface Forms

nuclear propulsion singular
nuclear propulsions plural

Morphology

nuclear + propulsion

The phrase's meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'nuclear' (relating to atomic energy) modifying 'propulsion' (force that drives or pushes), i.e. propulsion provided by nuclear power. This Adj+Noun compounding is a transparent, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Nuclear propulsion comes from nuclear (power from the tiny center of atoms) and propulsion (a push that moves something). People imagined a small, strong engine using that atom power to push a ship or rocket, so the phrase now means 'the use of a nuclear reactor to provide power or thrust'.