volcano

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noun vol·ca·no \ väl-ˈkā-(ˌ)nō , vȯl- \

Definition of volcano

plural volcanoes or volcanos

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

See volcano defined for English-language learners

See volcano defined for kids

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

Researchers determined 138 of those to be volcanoes, with 91 undiscovered until now.

— josh hafner, USA TODAY, "91 volcanoes discovered beneath Antarctica's ice. But are they active?," 14 Aug. 2017
The game lets players push a cartoon Trump off a rocky precipice, into a volcano, down a New York manhole or into the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "‘Push Trump Off a Cliff Again’ game draws fire, gets a nudge from Rosie O’Donnell," 19 July 2017
At the moment Katla, one of Iceland’s largest volcanoes, located near the island’s southern tip, sleeps beneath 700 metres of ice.

— The Economist, "VolcanologyEvents in Iceland explain years of famine in Europe’s Dark Ages," 18 July 2017
Make a hole in the middle similar to a volcano and place the two (beaten?) eggs in it.

— caron golden, sandiegouniontribune.com, "How to be a pasta pro," 17 July 2017
Spanning 30 acres, the massive water theme park features a multi-directional wave pool, Krakatau, a speeding body slide that drops 200 feet into the volcano below, a winding river perfect for chilling out, and sandy beaches.

— marissa miller, Teen Vogue, "Speed Through These Summer Bucketlist Amusement Park Attractions," 4 July 2017
Mount Sibayak is one of about 130 volcanoes in Indonesia.

— binsar bakkara, The Seattle Times, "Body of German hiker retrieved from Indonesian volcano," 30 June 2017
A popular stone used for these rings is the Lake County Diamond, which is featured in the ring below ($138, etsy.com), and is the result of the pressure and extreme temperatures from Mount Konocti, a now-dormant volcano in Lake County, California.

— lauren smith, House Beautiful, "Raw Diamonds Are the Next Big Trend for Engagement Rings," 28 June 2017
Atop Earth’s largest active volcano, an alarm bell has tolled unheeded for six decades.

— eric betz, Discover Magazine, "What Carbon Really Costs," 26 June 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1613

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volcano Synonyms

Synonyms

flash point, powder keg, time bomb, tinderbox

Related Words

hot button, third rail

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

VOLCANO Defined for English Language Learners

volcano

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noun

Definition of volcano for English Language Learners

: 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

play

noun vol·ca·no \ väl-ˈkā-nō , vȯl- \

Definition of volcano for Students

plural volcanoes or volcanos

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.