caldera

noun

cal·​de·​ra kal-ˈder-ə 

kȯl-, 

-ˈdir- 

: a volcanic crater that has a diameter many times that of the vent and is formed by collapse of the central part of a volcano or by explosions of extraordinary violence

Did you know?

A large, bowl-shaped volcanic depression, a caldera forms when the top of a volcanic cone collapses into the space left after magma is ejected during a violent volcanic eruption. Its diameter is many times that of the original vent. The term is Spanish for "caldron." Subsequent minor eruptions may build small cones on the floor of the caldera, and the caldera may still later fill up with water; an example of this is Crater Lake in Oregon.

Examples of caldera in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The latest eruption does not pose a risk to the Hawaii Island community or flights, as the lava is contained within the park's Halemaumau crater and Kilauea's summit caldera. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025

Other significant hazards include instability, ground cracking and rockfalls around the Kīlauea caldera . —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2025

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area has the largest unbroken caldera in the world. —Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Hike the island’s two official trails: the caldera rim (2.9 miles) and the Cara do Índio (6.4 miles), which connects the caldera to Vila do Corvo, the island’s only village and home to 435 residents. —Anna Mazurek, AFAR Media, 26 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, literally, cauldron, from Late Latin caldaria — more at cauldron

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for caldera

• aspera
• barbera
• barrera
• cascara
• chimaera
• chimera
• cordillera
• diptera
• drosera
• mascara
• patera
• provera

Kids Definition

caldera

noun

cal·​de·​ra kal-ˈder-ə  kȯl- 

-ˈdir-

: a large crater formed by the collapse of a volcanic cone or by an explosion