volcano
[ vol-key-noh ]
/ vɒlˈkeɪ noʊ /
noun, plural vol·ca·noes, vol·ca·nos.
a vent in the earth's crust through which lava, steam, ashes, etc., are expelled, either continuously or at irregular intervals.
a mountain or hill, usually having a cuplike crater at the summit, formed around such a vent from the ash and lava expelled through it.
Origin of volcano
Words nearby volcano
volcanic pipe,
volcanic tuff,
volcaniclastic,
volcanism,
volcanize,
volcano,
volcano islands,
volcanogenic,
volcanology,
volcker,
vole
Example sentences from the Web for volcano
British Dictionary definitions for volcano
volcano
/ (vɒlˈkeɪnəʊ) /
noun plural -noes or -nos
an opening in the earth's crust from which molten lava, rock fragments, ashes, dust, and gases are ejected from below the earth's surface
a mountain formed from volcanic material ejected from a vent in a central crater
Word Origin for volcano
C17: from Italian, from Latin
Volcānus
Vulcan
1, whose forges were believed to be responsible for volcanic rumblings
Scientific definitions for volcano
volcano
[ vŏl-kā′nō ]
An opening in the Earth's crust from which lava, ash, and hot gases flow or are ejected during an eruption.
A usually cone-shaped mountain formed by the materials issuing from such an opening. Volcanoes are usually associated with plate boundaries but can also occur within the interior areas of a tectonic plate. Their shape is directly related to the type of magma that flows from them-the more viscous the magma, the steeper the sides of the volcano.♦ A volcano composed of gently sloping sheets of basaltic lava from successive volcanic eruptions is called a shield volcano. The lava flows associated with shield volcanos, such as Mauna Loa, on Hawaii, are very fluid.♦ A volcano composed of steep, alternating layers of lava and pyroclastic materials, including ash, is called a stratovolcano. Stratovolcanos are associated with relatively viscous lava and with explosive eruptions. They are the most common form of large continental volcanos. Mount Vesuvius, Mount Fuji, and Mount St. Helens are stratovolcanos. Also called composite volcano See more at hot spot island arc tectonic boundary volcanic arc.
Cultural definitions for volcano
volcano
A cone-shaped mountain or hill created by molten material that rises from the interior of the Earth to the surface.
notes for volcano
Volcanoes tend to occur along the edges of
tectonic plates.
notes for volcano
Eruptions and lava flows associated with them can be very destructive. (
See
Mount Saint Helens
and
Mount Vesuvius.)