geyser

noun

gey·​ser ˈgī-zər 

 British also  ˈgē-zə,

 for sense 1 and usually  for sense 2 ˈgē-zə

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

Five visitors to Yellowstone National Park recently found themselves in hot water—quite literally—when their SUV ended up in a geyser. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 15 July 2024

Temperatures of this geyser can reach about 105 degrees, the agency said. —Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 13 July 2024

Recovery crews with the National Park Service arrived to the scene on Friday to pull the vehicle out of the geyser. —Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 13 July 2024

Morne Trois National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in a fertile valley in the south central part of the island, has nearly 300 miles of footpaths, waterfalls, and a region of boiling mud ponds and small geysers to explore. —Kristin Braswell, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Feb. 2023

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

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"