Jan 4, 2010
A meltdown is an accident in a nuclear reactor (any device used for controlling the release of nuclear power so that it can be used for constructive purposes) in which the fuel core melts, resulting in the release of dangerous amounts of radiation (energy in the form of waves or particles). In most cases the large containment structure that houses a nuclear reactor would prevent the radioactivity from escaping. However, there is a small possibility that the molten core could become hot enough to burn through the floor of the containment structure and go deep into the Earth. All reactors are equipped with emergency systems to prevent such an accident from occurring. Between 1957 and 1986, however, there have been four accidents in which major core damage has resulted.
Sources: Blair, Ian. Taming the Atom, pp. 170-71; The Macmillan Visual Dictionary, p. 765; World Encyclopedia, vol. 14, p....
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