geyser

noun

gey·ser | \ˈgī-zər,

British also ˈgē-zə, for sense 1 and usually ˈgē-zəfor sense 2\

Definition of geyser

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? Example Sentences Learn More about geyser

Keep scrolling for more

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

Two seasonal park workers were fired after being caught on a webcam urinating on the geyser in 2009. — Mead Gruver, The Seattle Times, "Man who walked near boiling-hot Old Faithful geyser ticketed," 17 Sep. 2018 As long as geysers are treated like garbage cans there remains the possibility of a trash eruption. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Heavily Littered Yellowstone Geyser Spews Tons of Trash Into Air During Eruption," 5 Oct. 2018 If confirmed, these icy geysers would provide a sample of the subsurface ocean. — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "Strange readings from a dead spacecraft reveal new evidence of water on Europa," 15 May 2018 Ear Spring geyser, located in Yellowstone National Park, had long been engorged by years of trash left inside of it by ill-mannered tourists. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "Heavily Littered Yellowstone Geyser Spews Tons of Trash Into Air During Eruption," 5 Oct. 2018 In the aftermath of nearby large earthquakes, dry streams can start flowing, well levels can go up or down, and geysers sometimes erupt. — Smithsonian, "The Meteorite That Killed the Dinosaurs May Have Also Triggered Underwater Volcanoes," 8 Feb. 2018 The geyser basin at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park attracts thousands of visitors a day in the summer. — Kevin Davenport, idahostatesman, "Yellowstone's magma chamber is more powerful than we knew. Here's why studying it matters.," 3 July 2018 Where there was not fire, geysers of sparklers exploded on every side of the tiger, drawing applause from the boys and their dates. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Florida prep school apologizes for using tiger as prom prop," 14 May 2018 The gas shoots up in little geysers or jets, that act like the thrusters on a spacecraft, giving the comet a little kick this way and that. — Dennis Overbye, New York Times, "An Alien Visitor Turns Out to Be a Comet," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'geyser.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about geyser

Dictionary Entries near geyser

Statistics for geyser

Last Updated

11 Dec 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for geyser

The first known use of geyser was in 1780

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for geyser

geyser

noun

English Language Learners Definition of geyser

: a hole in the ground that shoots out hot water and steam; also : the column of water and steam that comes from a geyser

: a device for heating water in a bathroom or kitchen

See the full definition for geyser in the English Language Learners Dictionary

geyser

noun

gey·ser | \ˈgī-zər

\

Kids Definition of geyser

: a spring that now and then shoots up hot water and steam

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

zibeline

a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair

Test Your Vocabulary

Late Autumn 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

Which is a synonym of yahoo?

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games