Radioactive particles that descend through the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion, or the adverse results of a situation.
Compound of 'fall' from Old English 'feallan' and 'out' from Old English 'ūt'. Originally literal, describing particles falling from the sky, the metaphorical sense of 'consequences' developed in the nuclear age.
The word 'fallout' perfectly captures how the atomic age created new vocabularies for unprecedented dangers, with a simple compound word becoming loaded with existential dread. Its metaphorical expansion to mean any negative consequences shows how nuclear anxiety permeated everyday language.
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