Definition of volcano
volcanoes
orvolcanos
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
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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 of volcano from the Web
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Each pixel in the new data represents about 1,600 square feet, roughly the average footprint of an American house, and shows 34,000 seafloor features like pockmarks, channels, hard grounds, mud volcanoes and natural seeps.
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That is because Universal put the livelier attractions behind the volcano or disguised them.
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Mainland Australia has no volcanoes, but this little island group has two.
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The Columbian reports that permits to climb to the volcano’s 8,363-foot summit are sold out until at least Sept. 27, as are the first two weekends in October — the final month of the season.
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Here is where these geopolitical players stand on flash points that could erupt in the shadow of the (active) Etna volcano.
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Activities including volcano making, fossil digging, gold panning and more.
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As President Trump met with leaders of the world's leading economies here Friday within miles of an active volcano, the White House was working to ease a pair of diplomatic eruptions.
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With its proximity to Puerto Montt, Calbuco is an especially hazardous volcano, not only because of potential ash fall but also lahars generated from melting snow/ice mixing with the volcanic debris from the eruption itself.
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.
Illustration of volcano
Origin and Etymology of volcano
Italian or Spanish; Italian vulcano, from Spanish volcán, ultimately from Latin Volcanus Vulcan
First Known Use: 1613
Other Geology Terms
anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale
VOLCANO Defined for English Language Learners
volcano
playDefinition of volcano for English Language Learners
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: a mountain with a hole in the top or side that sometimes sends out rocks, ash, lava, etc., in a sudden explosion (called an eruption)
VOLCANO Defined for Kids
volcano
playDefinition of volcano for Students
volcanoes
orvolcanos
1 : an opening in the earth's crust from which hot or melted rock and steam erupt
2 : a hill or mountain composed of material thrown out in a volcanic eruption
History for volcano
Before Columbus, Europeans knew only the handful of active volcanoes long familiar to sailors in the Mediterranean, such as Vesuvius in Italy. There was no general word to describe a mountain that emitted fire. This situation changed in the 1500s, however, when the Spanish conquistadors came upon the great volcanic peaks of Mexico, Central America, and the Andes. In the writings of the conquistadors the word used for these mountains was volcán, whose roots lie in the ancient world. Vulcanus, the Roman god of fire, was particularly associated with the volcanic Lipari Islands off the coast of Sicily—one of which is still called Vulcano in Italian. Through Arabic, Latin Vulcanus was brought to Spanish as a name for fiery peaks, and from Spanish to Italian, French, and English.
Learn More about volcano
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for volcano Spanish Central: Translation of volcano Nglish: Translation of volcano for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of volcano for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about volcano
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