Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The smallest mass of a fissionable material that will sustain a nuclear chain reaction at a constant level.
  • noun The total mass of matter needed to generate sufficient gravitational force to halt the current expansion of the universe.
  • noun An amount or level needed for a specific result or new action to occur.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun physics the amount of fissile material that is needed to support a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction
  • noun A quantity or amount required to trigger a phenomenon.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reaction
  • noun the minimum amount (of something) required to start or maintain a venture

Etymologies

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Examples

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Comments

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  • I think Wordie may have reached some sort of critical mass on Friday, June 20, 2008. Now I really can't keep up with the comments!

    June 21, 2008

  • Wow, 5 people with 170 or more comments in one week! If this is what happens when I go to Belgium for a few days, what's going to happen when I go the Philippines next month?

    June 23, 2008

  • Wordzilla in Manila?

    June 23, 2008

  • Much ado in Cebu,

    And in Manila too.

    June 23, 2008

  • I know, it's just that some of us were really in the best wordie mood ever. I beg your pardon.

    June 23, 2008

  • From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon.

    From Bali to Cali, far beneath the Coral Sea.

    June 23, 2008

  • From Pro to yarb hear the power of Babylon.

    From Bilby to jmp, we all do babble on.

    June 23, 2008

  • the minimum amount needed to sustain a process

    June 23, 2008

  • Critical mass

    is clearly unable

    to save As

    ativum

    from the Tower of Babel

    June 23, 2008

  • How boring was life before Babel!

    Now sit down, and en-join the rabble.

    June 23, 2008