Meaning of China syndrome | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A hypothetical kind of catastrophic failure in which a nuclear reactor melts through the floor of its containment system and (if on land) penetrates the Earth's surface, continuing downward as if (from a Western Hemispheric point of view) traveling through the planet toward China.
   idiomatic, uncountable
2. A specific instance of this type of failure.
   countable, idiomatic
3. A behavior, policy, or situation characteristic of or involving China; an actual or potential catastrophe, especially one involving China.
   countable, idiomatic
4. A rare disease, first characterized in the early 1990s, which resembles polio but which has somewhat different characteristics and occurs in persons vaccinated for polio.
   countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“The Ergen report contains an analysis showing that the high-temperature mass would sink into the earth and grow in size for about two years. […] This behavior projection is known as the China syndrome.”

“Dr. Lowell: If that's true, we came very close to the China Syndrome. Kimberly Wells: The what? Dr. Lowell: If the core is exposed for whatever reason, the fuel heats beyond core heat tolerance in a matter of minutes. Nothing can stop it. And it melts down right through the bottom of the plant, theoretically to China. But of course, as soon as it hits ground water, it blasts into the atmosphere and sends out clouds of radioactivity.”

“The molten mass did not even fully penetrate the 0.5-cm cladding, confirming tests in Karlsruhe, Germany, and in Idaho, that the "China syndrome" is not a credible possibility.”

“The report judged the risks of catastrophic nuclear power plant accidents (known as core meltdowns or China syndromes) to be socially acceptable.”

“Ames maneuvered the Avalon around the Alfa's bow, working the directional propeller carefully and adjusting trim to cruise down the other side, actually the top of the dead sub. "See any evidence of a hull fracture?" "No," the ensign answered, "just the two burn-throughs. I wonder what went wrong?" "A for-real China Syndrome. It finally happened to somebody." Ames shook his head. If there was anything the navy preached about reactors, it was safety. "Get the transducer against the hull. We'll see if anybody's alive in there."”

“Contrary to accounts in the media, he states, "bugs of this nature don't cause China Syndromes or missile launches, at least not generally."”

“And then there is the China syndrome. […] China now represents about 20% of Korea's total trade.”

“Unlike poliomyelitis, paralysis in China syndrome is symmetrical. In addition, cases are seasonal.”

CEFR level