fallout

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the harmful or unpleasant consequences that follow an event or decision

   The company struggled with the financial fallout from the scandal.

2. 2
   noun

   radioactive particles that descend through the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion or accident

   Residents were warned to remain indoors until the radioactive fallout had passed.

A noun formed from the phrasal verb fall out. The nuclear sense arose in the mid-twentieth century for radioactive material falling from the atmosphere; the broader sense of harmful consequences developed figuratively.

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