a fast shutdown of a nuclear reactor during an emergency, by quickly inserting control rods into the core. Supposedly derived during the infancy of nuclear reactors when Norman Hilbury was stationed with an axe to cut a rope holding the safety control rod during the experiment at the Chicago Pile on 2nd December 1942, when reactor criticality was first demonstrated.
The reactor scram automatically occurred due to high neutron flux.
Submitted by: LDUNLAP from United States on 24/05/2010
Noun☞scram
scram
verb intransitive usually in imperativeinformal
UK /skræm/
Other entries for this word
scramnoun
Word Forms
present tense
I/you/we/they
scram
he/she/it
scrams
present participle
scramming
past tense
scrammed
past participle
scrammed
DEFINITIONS2
1
to leave a place quickly and immediately
So now scram, OK?
She told the boys to scram.
Synonyms and related words
To leave a place or person quickly or suddenly
run off
dash off
make off
2
the act of shutting down a nuclear reactor
We must scram the plant if the water level gets too low!
Submitted by: LDUNLAP from United States on 27/05/2010
scram
verb intransitive usually in imperativeinformal
US /skræm/
Other entries for this word
scramnoun
Word Forms
present tense
I/you/we/they
scram
he/she/it
scrams
present participle
scramming
past tense
scrammed
past participle
scrammed
DEFINITIONS2
1
to leave a place quickly and immediately
So now scram, OK?
She told the boys to scram.
Synonyms and related words
To leave a place or person quickly or suddenly
run off
dash off
make off
2
the act of shutting down a nuclear reactor
We must scram the plant if the water level gets too low!
Submitted by: LDUNLAP from United States on 27/05/2010