supercritical
Americanadjective
-
extremely critical.
-
Physics. pertaining to a mass of radioactive material in which the rate of a chain reaction increases with time.
adjective
-
physics (of a fluid) brought to a temperature and pressure higher than its critical temperature and pressure, so that its physical and chemical properties change
-
nuclear physics of or containing more than the critical mass
Other Word Forms
- supercritically adverb
- supercriticalness noun
Etymology
Origin of supercritical
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In this model, cracked regions of the crust are thought to contain water at extremely high temperatures and pressures, possibly in a supercritical state.
From Science Daily
But in December, the government said it would keep Cirebon-1 open, citing its long potential lifespan and "supercritical" technology, which burns coal more efficiently than older plants.
From Barron's
Some former U.S. officials said the U.S. doesn’t need to carry out such “supercritical tests” because it uses advanced computer simulations to determine the reliability of its stockpile.
One possible explanation for the ultraluminosity is that an extraordinary amount of gas falls onto a compact object through a process called supercritical accretion.
From Science Daily
It relies on heating and pressurising water to such a high degree that it enters a new state of matter: a so-called supercritical state.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
