control rod


noun

a neutron-absorbing material, as boron or cadmium, in the shape of a rod or other configuration, that can be moved into or out of the core of a nuclear reactor to regulate the rate of fission.

Origin of control rod

First recorded in 1940–45

British Dictionary definitions for control rod

control rod

noun

one of a number of rods or tubes containing a neutron absorber, such as boron, that can be inserted into or retracted from the core of a nuclear reactor in order to control its rate of reaction