eruption

noun

erup·​tion i-ˈrəp-shən 

1

a

: an act, process, or instance of erupting

b

: the breaking out of a rash on the skin or mucous membrane

2

: a product of erupting (such as a skin rash)

Synonyms of eruption

• explosion
• outburst
• burst

Examples of eruption in a Sentence

a great eruption of glee as it suddenly dawned on her that she had won

the eruption of the volcano Krakatoa was one of the most violent in global history

Recent Examples on the Web

Approximately 1,700 people have been evacuated from at least 18 communities on the slopes of Fuego, or the Volcano of Fire, after the eruption that began on Monday. — ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

The eruption started Monday morning and had intensified by nightfall. — CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

For example, users could use the feature to visualize the city of Pompeii before the eruption of Vesuvius, or turn famous landmarks into illustrated infographics populated with data pulled directly from Gemini’s multimodal output. — Paul Monckton, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

All told, that makes the eruption a remarkable scientific opportunity for those focused on submarine volcanism. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing eruption

• creeping eruption
• post-eruption

Rhymes for eruption

• corruption
• disruption
• irruption
• incorruption
• interruption

Kids Definition

eruption

noun

erup·​tion i-ˈrəp-shən 

1

: an act, process, or instance of erupting

2

: a product (as a skin rash) of erupting

Medical Definition

eruption

noun

erup·​tion i-ˈrəp-shən 

1

: an act, process, or instance of erupting

the eruption of the tooth from the gum

specifically : the breaking out of an exanthem or enanthem on the skin or mucous membrane (as in measles)

2

: something produced by an act or process of erupting: as

a

: the condition of the skin or mucous membrane caused by erupting

b

: one of the lesions (as a pustule) constituting this condition