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 man went into a closed section of Kīlauea caldera at the park — triggering an overnight search and rescue operation in steep, hazardous terrain, officials said, as Fox News Digital reported. —Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026

And the screen is often duly obscured in a whitish haze, some of it moving through the skies above, some of it rising from the Phlegraean Fields, an active eight-mile-wide caldera to the west of Naples. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026

This Greek brand with outposts in the towns of Imerovigli and Oia alike stands out for its first-class views of the caldera. —Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

Santorini, Greece The island’s Grace Hotel, Auberge Collection, helps guests connect with the famous blue waters of the caldera with net-fishing lessons that often haul in barbouni (red mullet) and skaros (parrot fish). —Kinsey Gidick, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026

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