different between meltdown vs conniption

English

Etymology

From the verb phrase melt down.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: melt?down

Noun

meltdown (countable and uncountable, plural meltdowns)

1. Severe overheating of the core of a nuclear reactor resulting in the core melting and potentially in radiation escaping.

   Four years have passed since the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, but the grim legacy of the Soviet catastrophe is still unfolding. [1]

2. A situation being likened to a nuclear meltdown; a crisis.
   • 2001, James Wickham, Perv Spoof Bosses Axe Wrestling (in The Daily Star)

     Channel 4 switchboards went into meltdown this week when viewers called to complain about a Brass Eye programme on child sex.

   Computer engineers were at a loss last night to explain why the Government had been hit by arguably the worst electronic meltdown in the history of Whitehall. [2]
3. (figuratively) A tantrum.

Synonyms

• (tantrum): see Thesaurus:tantrum

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ?????? (merutodaun)

Translations

See also

• China syndrome

English

Etymology

Since 1833, from American English. Unknown origin, perhaps related to corruption or captious.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??n?p.??n/

Noun

conniption (plural conniptions)

1. (informal) A fit of anger or panic; conniption fit.
   • 2001, Slipknot, "My Plague", Iowa.

   When she came downstairs and saw what her children were eating, she had a conniption.

   ...threatened by the conniptions gripping Wall Street (Businessweek Oct.20, 2008)

2. A fit of laughing; convulsion.

   The joke was not that funny, but he went into conniptions laughing.

Synonyms

• (fit of anger or panic): see Thesaurus:tantrum

Translations