fission
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.the splitting of an atom's center to release a large amount of energy.
n.the process in which the nucleus of a heavy atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing significant energy.
Simple“Nuclear power plants use fission to create the heat needed for electricity.”
In context“The discovery of nuclear fission in the late 1930s fundamentally altered the landscape of both global energy production and modern warfare.”
UsageOften used as a modifier in the phrase 'nuclear fission'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a way that some tiny living things, like bacteria, reproduce by splitting in two.
n.a form of asexual reproduction in single-celled organisms where the parent cell divides into two or more daughter cells.
Simple“Bacteria reproduce quickly through a process called binary fission.”
In context“During binary fission, the genetic material is replicated before the cell membrane pinches inward to create two genetically identical organisms.”
UsageCommonly appears in the specific biological term 'binary fission'.
Synonymsdivisionbinary fission - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to split into two or more parts, or to cause something to split.
v.to undergo or cause to undergo the process of splitting into parts.
Simple“The heavy atoms began to fission when they were hit by neutrons.”
In context“Under specific laboratory conditions, the researchers observed the isotopes as they began to fission at an accelerated rate.”
UsageUsed both transitively and intransitively in scientific contexts.
“Generating electricity from the heat unleashed by fissioning uranium atoms is a multistep process, and at each step the composition of the nuclear fuel must be reassessed before proceeding.”
“Long-lived radioactive fission products keep decaying for months or even years, releasing a weak stream of particles called antineutrinos.”
Borrowed from Latin fissiōnem, accusative singular of fissiō (“the act of breaking up”), from findō (“split, divide”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.