geyser

noun

gey·​ser ˈgī-zər 

British also ˈgē-zə

for sense 1 and usually ˈgē-zə for sense 2

1

: a spring that throws forth intermittent jets of heated water and steam

2

British : an apparatus for heating water rapidly with a gas flame (as for a bath)

Did you know?

A hot spring that discharges intermittent jets of steam and water is called a geyser. Geysers are generally associated with recent volcanic activity. They are produced by the heating of underground waters that have come into contact with, or are very close to, magma. Geyser discharges as high as 1,600 ft (500 m) have been recorded, but 160 ft (50 m) is much more common. Occasionally, a geyser will adopt an extremely regular and predictable pattern of intermittent activity and discharge for a few minutes every hour or so (for example, Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park).

Examples of geyser in a Sentence

The water from the geyser rises as high as 75 feet.

geysers rising as high as 75 feet

The water shot into the sky in an enormous geyser.

Recent Examples on the Web

Eventually, this flash of hot, steamy water breaks through the ground in the form of a geyser. —Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 4 Mar. 2026

The acidic geyser is located in the back basin of the park’s Norris Geyser Basin and is named Echinus for the sea urchin-like rocks that surround the 66-foot-wide geyser (echinus is Latin for sea urchin). —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026

The world’s largest acidic geyser in Yellowstone National Park is erupting again after a six-year slumber. —Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026

Many acidic geysers break down the rock that forms a geyser, but the acidity at Echinus is not strong enough to eat away at the surrounding stone. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Icelandic Geysir, hot spring in Iceland, from geysa to rush forth, from Old Norse; akin to Old English gēotan to pour — more at found

First Known Use

1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for geyser

• miser
• riser
• sizer
• visor
• wiser
• advertiser
• analyser
• analyzer
• appetizer
• atomizer
• breathalyzer
• colonizer

Kids Definition

geyser

noun

gey·​ser ˈgī-zər 

: a spring that now and then shoots out hot water and steam

Etymology

from Icelandic Geyser "a hot spring in Iceland," from geysa "to rush forth"