fallout
fallout Lexical Profile
fallout Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The adverse side effects, repercussions, or aftermath of an event, decision, or situation.
"The company struggled for months to manage the public relations fallout from the data breach."
Airborne radioactive particles and dust that settle to the earth's surface following a nuclear explosion or accident.
"Scientists monitored soil and water samples for decades to measure the environmental impact of radioactive fallout."
A serious disagreement or quarrel that damages a relationship between people; a falling-out.
"The two business partners had a bitter fallout over the direction of the firm and stopped speaking."
Word Nuance & Usage
The closed noun 'fallout' (meaning adverse consequences or radioactive debris) is distinct from the two-word phrasal verb 'fall out' (meaning to quarrel or drop from a place).
• Rhymes for fallout
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 1940s from the verbal phrase 'fall out,' originally referring specifically to airborne radioactive particles settling to the ground after a nuclear test before broadening to mean any adverse aftermath.