nuke

IPA/njuːk/
KK[nˈuk]IPA/nuːk/

nuke — noun

  • nukesingular
  • nukesplural

1. an atomic or hydrogen bomb — a weapon that uses nuclear reactions to create a ma

1.nounB2
Definition

an atomic or hydrogen bomb — a weapon that uses nuclear reactions to create a massive explosion, far more powerful than conventional bombs.

Example

During the Cold War, both superpowers built enough nukes to destroy the world many times.

informal term for nuclear weapon in historical/political context

The treaty required both countries to reduce the number of active nukes in their arsenals.

countable noun: active nukes in arsenals

Common collocations
  • build nukes
  • test a nuke
  • launch a nuke
  • nuke arsenal
  • nuke strike
Synonyms
  • atomic bomb

    more formal and technically specific; refers specifically to fission weapons

  • hydrogen bomb

    refers to the more powerful thermonuclear fusion weapons

  • warhead

    the explosive part of a missile; can be nuclear or conventional

Antonyms

Usage Note

Common in news reporting and political discussion, but considered informal or journalistic shorthand. In formal military writing, the full term 'nuclear weapon' is preferred.

Common Mistakes

Iran is developing a nuke program.
Iran is developing a nuclear program.
'nuke' is a noun for the weapon itself, not an adjective. Use 'nuclear' as the adjective form.

nuke — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These terms all describe nuclear weapons, but they differ in technical scope and register. 'Atomic bomb' (A-bomb) refers specifically to fission weapons, like those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki — it is the oldest and most historically grounded term. 'Hydrogen bomb' (H-bomb) refers to the more powerful thermonuclear fusion weapons developed later, which use an atomic trigger to ignite a fusion reaction. 'Nuclear warhead' is the technical term for the explosive payload mounted on a missile — it can refer to either a fission or fusion device. 'Nuke' is the most informal and broadest of the group; it can refer to any nuclear weapon regardless of design. In news headlines, 'nuke' often appears for brevity: 'North Korea tests new nuke.' In formal policy documents, 'nuclear warhead' is preferred: 'The treaty limits each side to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads.' An 'atomic bomb' would be an older, less powerful design, while a 'hydrogen bomb' is specifically a thermonuclear weapon with far greater yield.

atomic bombhydrogen bombnuclear warhead

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'nuke' is a clipped shortening of 'nuclear weapon,' formed the same way 'phone' came from 'telephone' and 'bus' from 'omnibus.' It first appeared in English around the 1950s, during the early Cold War, when nuclear weapons became a central concern in public life. The informal verb sense 'to microwave food' emerged in the 1980s as microwave ovens became common in households — the connection being that microwave ovens use a form of electromagnetic radiation, and the humorous comparison to nuclear energy stuck. The sense 'destroy completely' grew naturally from the literal meaning of nuclear destruction, extended into business and everyday slang. All modern senses of 'nuke' ultimately trace back through 'nuclear' to the Latin word 'nucleus,' meaning 'kernel' or 'core.'