China syndrome
noun [in singular]
A hypothetical sequence of events following the meltdown of a nuclear reactor, in which the core melts through its containment structure and deep into the earth.It'll be like the China syndrome, but reversed....
- It may have something to do with the China syndrome.
- Hedge funds are derivatives on steroids, and the near collapse of one hedge fund nearly caused the financial equivalent of ‘the China syndrome.’
Origin
1970s: from China (as being on the opposite side of the earth from a reactor in the US).