Nuke it

Meaning

In casual American English, to nuke food is to heat it in a microwave. "Nuke" is short for nuclear, and the joke is that a microwave blasts your food with invisible energy, a bit like a tiny bomb. It became popular when home microwaves did, in the 1970s and 1980s, so to some ears it sounds a little dated and jokey today, but you'll still hear it in homes and office kitchens.

It is slang, so keep it to relaxed moments. "Can I nuke this?" is fine with a roommate or a coworker by the microwave. In writing, on a menu or with a customer, say "microwave it" or "heat it up". Out of the kitchen, "nuke" still has its serious meaning, about nuclear weapons, so context matters. People also use it for destroying something completely, like "I nuked the old files."