yellowcake

or yel·low cake

[ yel-oh-keyk ]

noun

1. a processed oxide of uranium, U 3 O 8 , extracted and concentrated from uranium ore: used as the raw material for commercial nuclear materials, especially fuel elements in nuclear reactors.

Word History and Origins

Origin of yellowcake¹

First recorded in 1945–50; yellow + cake

Example Sentences

There, the ore gets turned into uranium oxide or what is commonly known as “yellowcake” because of its bright lemony color.

From Salon

But the body estimated in 2013 that some 6,400 barrels of yellowcake remained in southwestern Libya, and its inspectors have continued efforts to inspect Libyan sites.

From New York Times

Once mined, the ore is converted into yellowcake, which is just concentrated uranium.

From The Verge

The Pyongsan Uranium Concentration Plant and its associated mine are North Korea's only publicly acknowledged source of yellowcake, or uranium ore, according to analysts.

From Reuters

That industry processed some 58 million cubic feet of ore and produced 13 million pounds of “yellowcake,” a concentrated form of uranium that can be enriched and used in nuclear reactors and weapons.

From Seattle Times