Nuke

A shortened term for a nuclear weapon, which is an explosive device that releases its energy by inducing either fission or fusion in matter, causing a chain reaction which is capable of converting matter to energy. Nuclear weapons are the most powerful weapons currently available to mankind, and are capable of much greater energy output than conventional chemical explosives. Powerful nuclear weapons can destroy a city outright.
In addition to their high damage output, nuclear explosions are dangerous due to the vast amount of heat they release (reaching into the millions of degrees), as well as the ionizing radiation and radioactive fallout that can poison and kill living beings exposed to it.
Many attacks of comparable power in fiction are often referred to as nukes, even if they have different properties than an actual nuclear weapon. In addition, "nuke" can be a verb, meaning to hit a target with one or more such powerful attacks.
There also exist characters who can produce nuclear blasts and manipulate nuclear energy
Category:Terms