reactor
reactor — noun
1. a large structure or machine that produces heat or electricity by splitting atom
a large structure or machine that produces heat or electricity by splitting atoms in a controlled nuclear reaction
The nuclear reactor at the coastal power plant supplies electricity to over two million homes.
countable noun + at + [location]
Engineers shut down the reactor for safety checks after the storm damaged the cooling system.
shut down a reactor for [purpose]
New reactors can run for years without needing to refuel.
Tamás works at a research reactor that produces materials for medical treatments.
- nuclear reactor
the full form, used for clarity or formal writing
- atomic pile
historical term for early reactors; very rare in modern use
用法筆記
Often shortened to reactor in news and everyday conversation. The full phrase nuclear reactor is used when the context is not yet clear.
2. a device, typically a coil or similar component, that limits or controls the flo
a device, typically a coil or similar component, that limits or controls the flow of alternating current in an electrical system by opposing changes in the current
The technician installed a reactor to reduce voltage spikes in the factory's power system.
install a reactor to [purpose]
Without a reactor in the circuit, sudden current changes could damage the motor.
Large reactors help control the flow of electricity across long-distance power lines.
Power grids use reactors to balance the electrical load between different areas.
用法筆記
This sense is technical and appears almost exclusively in electrical engineering contexts. In general conversation, reactor without context nearly always means a nuclear reactor.