CRITICAL MASS • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Critical mass

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/krˈɪtɪkəl mæs/ Listen

Critical mass

noun

The minimum amount (of something) required to start or maintain a venture. "There is now a critical mass of successful women to take the lead" , "They sold the business because it lacked critical mass"

The minimum mass of fissionable material that can sustain a chain reaction.

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"Critical mass" Quotes from Famous Books

... war of a couple of centuries ago, still sputtering and smoking. The Oskarsan-Elmersan War on Durendal, into which Flamberge and now Joyeuse had intruded. And the situation on Gram, fast approaching critical mass. Harkaman ...

— Space Viking • Henry Beam Piper

... military emblem had been, long ago. While his fingers worked with the jackknife and his eyes traveled over the page of closely-written symbols, his mind was reviewing the eight different ways in which one of the efficient but treacherous Doernberg-Giardano reactors could be allowed to reach critical mass, and he was wondering if there might not be some unsuspected ninth way. That was a possibility which always lurked in the back of his mind, and lately it had been giving ...

— Day of the Moron • Henry Beam Piper