verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb

1. 1
   To lower the speed and kinetic energy of fast neutrons in a nuclear reactor by use of a moderator, and thus increase the efficiency of fission

Etymology

From thermal + -ize.

Related phrases

kinetic energynuclear reactor

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.