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supercritical
[ soo-per-krit-i-kuhl ]
adjective
- extremely critical.
- Physics. pertaining to a mass of radioactive material in which the rate of a chain reaction increases with time.
supercritical
/ ˌsuːpəˈkrɪtɪkəl /
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 Words From
- super·criti·cal·ly adverb
- super·criti·cal·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of supercritical1
Example Sentences
Such supercritical fluids occur naturally in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn.
Water goes down the hole, is converted to supercritical steam, and shoots back to the surface to drive standard turbines and produce electricity to feed the grid.
By drilling deeper, the startup will hit rock at higher temperatures—so hot, in fact, that they can produce supercritical water, a fourth phase of water that’s neither liquid nor gas and has a few special properties.
Water then flows in and out of the wells, picking up heat on the way and becoming supercritical steam that drives turbines.
The practical person, the wary pedant, and the supercritical will scoff at this, but let it stand.
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