yellowcake

noun

: partially refined uranium ore that is often used as an intermediate step in the production of nuclear weapons

Examples of yellowcake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The monitoring also meant Iran wasn’t able to hide away yellowcake or centrifuges to produce enriched uranium for a covert nuclear-weapons program without the agency knowing about it. Laurence Norman, WSJ, 8 June 2022 Known as yellowcake uranium, the powdered material requires an enrichment process to convert it to a weapons-grade. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 16 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yellowcake was in 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Yellowcake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yellowcake. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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