Meaning: The word meltdown is used to denote a disastrous collapse or breakdown. It is also used to refer to an accident in a nuclear reactor in which the fuel overheats and melts the reactor core or shielding.
Origin: The word meltdown was arrived at by bringing the words “melt” and “down” in the 1630s. The word was used to refer to “an act or the process of melting metal” by 1922. By 1956, it was also used in reference to the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor. The metaphoric extension of the word to imply “breakdown in self-control” is attested since 1979.
Usage: The COVID-19 pandemic led to multiple major meltdowns in the global financial systems.
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