reactor
n.-
1 nuclear energy (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Sciencea large machine that uses nuclear energy to create heat and electricity.
an apparatus in which a nuclear chain reaction is initiated, sustained, and controlled to generate heat or produce useful isotopes.
ExampleThe power plant has three reactors that provide electricity for the whole city.
ExampleEngineers monitored the core temperature of the nuclear reactor to ensure the cooling systems were functioning within safety parameters.
- nuclear pile
- atomic pile
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2 chemical production (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Chemistrya container used in a factory to hold and control chemical reactions.
a vessel designed for carrying out a chemical reaction, often equipped with mechanisms for temperature and pressure control.
ExampleThe chemicals are mixed inside a large steel reactor to create the plastic.
ExampleThe industrial reactor was lined with glass to prevent the acidic reactants from corroding the outer steel shell during the synthesis process.
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3 electrical component (n.) C2 Proficiency Technical Computinga part in an electrical system that resists changes in current.
an electrical device, such as an inductor, used primarily to introduce reactance into a circuit.
ExampleThe technician replaced the faulty reactor in the power supply unit.
ExampleCurrent-limiting reactors are installed in the substation to protect the electrical grid from the high currents generated during a short circuit.
- inductor
- choke
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4 a person who reacts (n.) C2 Proficiency Formalsomeone who responds to a situation or a suggestion.
an individual who responds to a specific stimulus, influence, or suggestion.
ExampleHe is a slow reactor and needs time to think before he answers.
ExamplePsychological studies often categorise participants as either fast or slow reactors based on their immediate physiological responses to stress.
From react + -or.