Nuclear weapons are as confusing as they are deadly — here are 16 terms you keep hearing and what they actually mean

A test-launch of a North Korean ballistic missile.

KCNA (North Korea)

Nuclear weapons are humankind's most fearsome creations.

In a matter of minutes, one nuclear-armed nation can level dozens of cities, spread radioactive fallout for hundreds or thousands of miles, and wreck Earth's climate.

Most people are familiar with the basics: Slap together enough uranium or plutonium and — kaboom! — you have a nuclear blast. But the details of how these complex devices are made, delivered, and controlled can make the difference between keeping the peace and sparking a cataclysm.

It doesn't help that there's more than 60 years' worth of convoluted terminology surrounding the complex policies and politics of nuclear weapons. There are words like isotopes, fission, tritium, and yellowcake; abbreviations such as HEU, LEU, SSBN, and CVID; and the subtle yet striking difference between uranium-235 and uranium-238.

As President Donald Trump and his administration try to continue talks with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program — an effort could take years to pan out and is guaranteed to get very, very complicated— we've defined some of the most important (and misunderstood) words, phrases, and acronyms here.

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