What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Nuclear vs Thermonuclear - What's the difference?

nuclear | thermonuclear |

As adjectives the difference between nuclear and thermonuclear

is that nuclear is pertaining to the nucleus of a cell while thermonuclear is of, or relating to the fusion of atomic nuclei at high temperatures.

nuclear

English

Adjective

(-)
  • (biology) Pertaining to the nucleus of a cell.
  • * 2011 , Terence Allen and Graham Cowling, The Cell: A Very Short Introduction , Oxford 2011, p. 17:
  • However, the DNA in a bacterial cell is a single circular molecule and there is no separate nuclear compartment.
  • Pertaining to a centre around which something is developed or organised; central, pivotal.
  • Pertaining to the atomic nucleus.
  • Involving atomic energy.
  • a nuclear reactor
  • Of a weapon: deriving its force from rapid release of atomic energy.
  • a nuclear explosion

    Usage notes

    * The pronunciation .Geoffrey Nunberg, “[http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~nunberg/nucular.html Going Nucular”, 2002.

    Derived terms

    * corticonuclear * nuclear age * nuclear airburst * nuclear aircraft * nuclear artillery * nuclear cataract * nuclear certifiable * nuclear certified * nuclear chain reaction * nuclear chemistry * nuclear cytoplasm * nuclear electric rocket * nuclear emulsion * nuclear energy * nuclear fallout * nuclear family * nuclear fission * nuclear force * nuclear fuel * nuclear-free * nuclear gene * nuclear halo * nuclear hardness * nuclear hazard * nuclear incident * nuclear inclusion body * nuclear intelligence * nuclear isomer * nuclear lamina * nuclear magnetic moment * nuclear magnetic resonance * nuclear magneton * nuclear material * nuclear matrix * nuclear nation * nuclear navy * nuclear notation * nuclear operator * nuclear ophthalmoplegia * nuclear option * nuclear Overhauser effect * nuclear parity * nuclear photonic rocket * nuclear physics * nuclear poison * nuclear power * nuclear quadropole resonance * nuclear radiation * nuclear reaction * nuclear reactor * nuclear sclerosis * nuclear sharing * nuclear technology * nuclear terrorism * nuclear testing * nuclear transfer * nuclear underground burst * nuclear underwater burst * nuclear vulnerability assessment * nuclear war * nuclear warfare * nuclear waste * nuclear weapon * nuclear winter * nuclear yield

    References

    Anagrams

    * ----

    thermonuclear

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Of, or relating to the fusion of atomic nuclei at high temperatures.
  • Of, or relating to the use of atomic weapons based on such fusion, especially as distinguished from those based on fission.
  • Quotations

    * The first thermonuclear reaction was in a star; it was brought about by heat, as the description implies. .

    See also

    * pycnonuclear