volcano

noun

vol·ca·no | \ väl-ˈkā-(ˌ)nō

, vȯl-\

plural volcanoes or volcanos

Definition of volcano

1 : a vent in the crust of the earth or another planet or a moon from which usually molten or hot rock and steam issue also : a hill or mountain composed wholly or in part of the ejected material

2 : something of explosively violent potential

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about volcano

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Examples of volcano in a Sentence

The volcano last erupted 25 years ago. beset by prolonged heat and lingering racial tension, the city was like a seething volcano

Recent Examples on the Web

The destructive volcano also created something new: Pohoiki, a 1,000-foot-long black sand beach, which formed when hot lava flowing into the cold ocean exploded, leaving dark grains of sand in its wake, Civil Beat reports. — Nicole Winfield, sacbee, "Volcano created new Hawaii beach in 2018. It’s already covered in plastic, experts say," 4 June 2019 The north shore, buffered by the protective coral reef that started to grow as the volcano eroded away, is tranquil. — Katherine Cusumano, Condé Nast Traveler, "5 Best Beaches in Bermuda," 29 May 2019 That there was no plume reaching anywhere near the surface could be a reason that the volcano went undetected. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Where Did This Massive Underwater Volcano Come From?," 22 May 2019 Our final day would be our shortest, its sole real challenge crossing Kohala Mountain, the only of Hawaii’s five volcanoes that’s extinct. — James Sturz, WSJ, "Hawaii’s Big Island By Bike: A Heart-Racing, Spectacularly Scenic Trip," 12 Feb. 2019 It was once believed that the crystals found in volcanic ashes were the tears of the volcano goddess, Pele. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "What’s Your Sign? Karen Elson on Her New Birthstone Perfume Bottle Tops," 18 Jan. 2019 This turned out to be anything but the case, as Ceres is covered in craters, ridges, and the remains of what appear to be ice volcanoes. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Ceres might have tilted over onto its side," 9 Oct. 2018 Floridians have tested their nerves with hurricanes in the past, but given a choice of a natural disaster is a volcano or earthquake more terrifying? — David Whitley, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Will Central Florida learn Irma's lessons?," 1 June 2018 Kilauea is the world's most active volcano and has been in near-constant eruption since 1983. — Peter Martinez, CBS News, "Explosive eruptions, "ballistic rocks" possible from Hawaii volcano," 9 May 2018

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