NT, the
960
NT, the /ˌen ˈtiː/ abbrev. for 1 NATIONAL THEATRE 2 NATIONAL TRUST
nth /enθ/ adj 1 (used to suggest a very large number): I've reminded him for the nth time, but he still never remembers to do it. 2 to the nth degree infml as much as possible; extremely: It was boring to the nth degree.
nu·ance /ˈnjuːɑːns||ˈnuː-/ n a slight delicate difference in meaning, colour etc: nuances of taste which are hard to describe | There is a nuance of greater uncertainty in 'I might do it' than in 'I may do it'.
nub /nʌb/ n 1 [oft usually sing.] the most important point; CRUX: This is the nub of the argument/matter. 2 rare a lump or piece
nu·bile /ˈnjuːbaɪl||ˈnuːbəl/ adj fml or humor (of a girl) young and sexually attractive: his nubile companions
nu·cle·ar /ˈnjuːkliər||ˈnuː-/ adj [no comp.] 1 of, concerning, or using NUCLEAR ENERGY 2 of or being a NUCLEUS: nuclear fission (=the breaking up of atoms)
,nuclear 'bomb n a bomb which explodes because of the ATOMIC reactions inside it. Nuclear bombs are feared by people because of the terrible destruction they can cause. → see photo on page A36
,nuclear capa'bility n [U] the fact of whether a country has NUCLEAR WEAPONS or not: Iraq's nuclear capability was not known.
,nuclear ca'pacity n [S] the number of NUCLEAR WEAPONS possessed by a country: The enemy's nuclear capacity has risen over the last few months.
,nuclear de'terrence n [U] the threat of using NUCLEAR weapons as a way to stop an enemy from attacking
,nuclear dis'armament n [U] the giving up of NUCLEAR WEAPONS either by agreement between nations (multilateral disarmament) or by a single nation on its own (unilateral disarmament)
,nuclear 'energy n [U] the powerful force that is produced when the NUCLEUS (=central part) of an atom is either split or joined to another atom
,nuclear fa'cility n a factory or other place where NUCLEAR WEAPONS might be made
,nuclear 'family n a family unit that consists only of husband, wife, and children, without grandmothers, uncles etc → compare EXTENDED FAMILY
,nuclear 'fission also fission n [U] the splitting of the NUCLEUS (=centre) of an atom, which results in much power being RELEASED (=let go). Nuclear fission is used in NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
,nuclear-'free adj (of places) in which the use, carrying, and storing of NUCLEAR materials is not allowed: a nuclear-free zone
,nuclear 'fusion also fusion n [C;U] a NUCLEAR reaction in which the nuclei (NUCLEUS) of light atoms join with the nuclei of heavier atoms. Nuclear fusion may be used in bombs, such as the HYDROGEN BOMB.
,nuclear 'industry n a branch of industry which produces machinery and FUEL connected with the use of nuclear power, and/or NUCLEAR WEAPONS: The nuclear industry is strongly in favour of the phasing-out of coal-fired power stations.
,Nuclear ,Non-prolife'ration ,Treaty, the an international agreement which aims to prevent NUCLEAR weapons from spreading around the world, but which allows countries to use nuclear TECHNOLOGY peacefully. In 1970 the US, Britain, and the Soviet Union signed the agreement, followed by China and France in 1992. Since then, 187 other countries without nuclear weapons have agreed to use nuclear technology only for peaceful purposes. The International Atomic Energy Agency has the job of checking that countries are obeying the agreement.
,nuclear 'physicist n a person who studies or works in nuclear physics
,nuclear 'physics n [U] the branch of PHYSICS which is concerned with the structure and properties of the NUCLEUS (=central part) of atoms
,nuclear 'power n [U] power, usually electricity, from NUCLEAR ENERGY
CULTURAL NOTE Many people worry about the risks connected with using nuclear power, and some people oppose the building of new POWER STATIONS. People are frightened by the possibility of accidents, such as those that happened at Three Mile Island in the US in 1979 and Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986. People also worry that people who live near nuclear power stations have a greater risk of getting some types of CANCER, and that the methods used to get rid of RADIOACTIVE waste are not safe. Some people feel that the governments and the nuclear industry do not always tell the truth about the dangerous effects that nuclear power has on people and the environment.
,nuclear re'action n a process in which the parts of the NUCLEUS (=centre) of an atom are rearranged to form new substances → see FISSION, FUSION; compare CHEMICAL REACTION
,nuclear re'actor also reactor, atomic pile n a large machine that produces NUCLEAR ENERGY, especially as a means of producing electricity
,Nuclear 'Regulatory Com,mission, the abbrev. NRC a US government organization that checks on the safety of NUCLEAR power stations
,nuclear re'processing n [U] a process in which waste from NUCLEAR POWER stations is cleaned so that some of it may be used again
,nuclear 'submarine n a submarine (=a ship which can stay under water) which is driven by power from a nuclear reactor
,nuclear 'war n [C;U] a war fought using nuclear weapons: all-out nuclear war
,nuclear 'waste n [U] waste material which is RADIOACTIVE, especially used FUEL from NUCLEAR REACTORS: the problem of nuclear waste disposal
,nuclear 'weapon n a very powerful weapon which uses atomic power to cause mass destruction and death
,nuclear 'winter n the period which, according to many scientists, would follow a nuclear war or a large nuclear explosion, when there would be no light, warmth, or growth because the sun would be hidden by dust
nu·cle·ic ac·id /njuːˌkliːɪk ˈæsɪd, -ˌkler-||nuː-/ n → see DNA, RNA
nu·cle·us /ˈnjuːkliəs||ˈnuː-/ n pl. -clei /-kliaɪ/ 1 the central part of an atom, made up of NEUTRONS, PROTONS, and other ELEMENTARY PARTICLES → see picture at CELL 2 the central part of almost all cells of living matter 3 an original or central point, part, or group inside a larger thing, group, organization etc: These 100 books will form the nucleus of the new school library.
nude¹ /njuːd||nuːd/ adj 1 not wearing clothes; NAKED 2 [A no comp.] of, for, or by people not wearing clothes: a nude party | a nude beach | nude swimming
nude² n 1 [C] (a piece of art showing) a person, usually a woman, without clothes 2 [the] the state of being nude: They went swimming in the nude.
nudge /nʌdʒ/ v 1 [T] to push gently, usually with one's elbow, especially in order to call a person's attention: He nudged his friend to let him know it was time to leave. 2 [+adv/prep;T] to move by gently pushing: He nudged me out of the way. | a ship nudging (its way) through the ice | (fig.) During the meeting we tried to nudge them towards (=gently help them to find) a practical solution. 3 nudge, nudge, (wink, wink) infml humor a phrase, first used in the British television programme Monty Python's Flying Circus, used when suggesting that there may be a sexual meaning to something that someone has just said —nudge n
nud·ism /ˈnjuːdɪzəm||ˈnuː-/ n [U] the practice of being nude as much as possible, especially in a group, in a special holiday camp, and for reasons of health —ist adj, n: a nudist camp | a beach for nudists
nu·di·ty /ˈnjuːdɪti||ˈnuː-/ n [U] the state of being nude: a lot of nudity in recent films
nu·ga·to·ry /ˈnjuːgətəri||ˈnuːgətɔːri/ adj fml without value; TRIFLING