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

• 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

The tour also visits Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar’s only inhabited island, and the lava fields created by the 1973 volcanic eruption. —Mia Taylor, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025

The two met when Bethany was a teenager on a school trip who got stranded in Warsaw for a month when ash from an Icelandic eruption grounded planes across Europe. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025

The winds are tremendously hot, with temperatures during the eruptions around 2,100 degrees, scientists say. —Mark Price, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025

Their meeting coincided with a volcanic eruption, as if their immediate bond was strong enough to shift nature itself. —Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025

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