tephra

noun

teph·​ra ˈte-frə How to pronounce tephra (audio)
: solid material ejected into the air during a volcanic eruption
especially : ash entry 2 sense 2b

Examples of tephra in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The National Park Service has closed Kīlauea’s summit, citing danger from glassy volcanic fragments known as tephra. Dennis Romero, NBC news, 11 Mar. 2026 This tephra fell not just over the volcano’s slopes, but over a nearby highway and residential areas. Owen Clarke, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026 But the lava fountains were creating trouble for neighboring communities and a highway where the volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra, was falling. ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026 The United States Geological Survey said fallout had created hazardous conditions in downwind areas, with one resident reporting more than an inch of tephra — a mix of magma, rock and volcanic glass — on the roads of a golf course subdivision. Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tephra

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek, ashes; akin to Sanskrit dahati it burns — more at foment

First Known Use

circa 1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tephra was circa 1944

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Cite this Entry

“Tephra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tephra. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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