fallout
Americannoun
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the settling to the ground of airborne particles ejected into the atmosphere from the earth by explosions, eruptions, forest fires, etc., especially such settling from nuclear explosions radioactive fallout.
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the particles themselves.
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an unexpected or incidental effect, outcome, or product.
the psychological fallout of being obese.
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effects; results.
emotional fallout from a divorce.
noun
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the descent of solid material in the atmosphere onto the earth, esp of radioactive material following a nuclear explosion
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any solid particles that so descend
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informal side-effects; secondary consequences
verb
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informal to quarrel or disagree
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(intr) to happen or occur
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military to leave a parade or disciplinary formation
Etymology
Origin of fallout
First recorded in 1945–50; noun use of verb phrase fall out
Explanation
Fallout is the cloud of radioactive material that falls from the sky after a nuclear blast. Fear of the effects of fallout is just one reason some people are nervous about nuclear energy. Nuclear fallout settles on the ground and in the atmosphere after a nuclear bomb explodes or a reaction occurs at a damaged nuclear power plant. The dangers of this kind of fallout are enormous, including immediate death and long-term illness caused by breathing and eating the radioactive dust. Another kind of fallout is more figurative — it's any kind of negative effect or result, like the fallout from telling your family you're getting an enormous tattoo.
Vocabulary lists containing fallout
Clean Getaway
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This Week In Words: March 14–20, 2020
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The Benefits of Being an Octopus
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After tech gains in Asia, attention turned to US-Iran war developments and the potential fallout for economies on the continent, sending European stocks lower.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Slate’s Alexis Romero wrote about the continued fallout from the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v.
From Slate • May 21, 2026
The political fallout was triggered by the incursion of three drones into Latvian airspace on 7 May - the second such accident since the start of 2026.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Justice Shaina Leonard of Alberta’s Court of the King’s Bench said the Alberta government failed to consult indigenous groups about the potential fallout from holding a vote on the province’s future within Canada.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
“This must be the route to the old fallout shelter from the nineteen sixties,” said Grace.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
