# nuke

> English word · Noun · IPA /njuːk/ · frequency rank #19,919

## Definitions
1. A nuclear weapon.
2. Something that destroys or negates, especially on a catastrophic scale.
3. A nuclear power station.
4. A vessel such as a ship or submarine running on nuclear power.
5. A person (such as a sailor in a navy or a scientist) who works with nuclear weapons or nuclear power.
6. A cautionary flag placed on a release to label it as "bad" for some reason or another (e.g., being a dupe of a previous release or containing malware).
7. A microwave oven.

## Etymology
Clipping of nuclear weapon. The verb is derived from the noun.

## Easily confused with
- **nut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nut)
- **nun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nun)
- **nye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nye)
- **Nur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nur)
- **nuts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nuts)
- **null** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-null)
- **numb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-numb)
- **nuns** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nuns)
- **nurse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nurse)
- **nukes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nukes)
- **Nunez** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuke-vs-nunez)
- **ne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ne-vs-nuke)
- **nu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nu-vs-nuke)
- **nee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nee-vs-nuke)
- **nuh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nuh-vs-nuke)
- **Noe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/noe-vs-nuke)
- **NHK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nhk-vs-nuke)
- **NME** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nme-vs-nuke)
- **name** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/name-vs-nuke)
- **nice** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/nice-vs-nuke)

## Common misspellings (5)
`nkue`, `nnuke`, `nuek`, `nukke`, `unke`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nuke