Illustration of volcano
- 1 cinder cone
- 2 shield volcano
- 3 stratovolcano
volcano
noun
vol·ca·no
väl-ˈkā-(ˌ)nō 
vȯl-
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
Examples of volcano in a Sentence
The volcano last erupted 25 years ago.
after months of tension the roommates' living situation was a volcano
Recent Examples on the Web
The devastation following the volcano’s famous eruption in 79 CE is well-documented across multiple archeological sites at Pompeii, Herculaneum, and elsewhere.
—
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 July 2025
Wetlands need restoration to once again catch phosphorus that pours from extinct volcanoes and prevent the growth of deadly algae.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
But that was the last time smoke appeared to be ejected by the volcano.
—ABC News, 11 July 2025
During a visit to the Chinese city of Yanji, my hosts informed me that this was the perfect season to visit a sacred dormant volcano known as Changbaishan (called Paekdu or Baekdu in Korean).
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for volcano
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Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 July 2025
Wetlands need restoration to once again catch phosphorus that pours from extinct volcanoes and prevent the growth of deadly algae.
—Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
But that was the last time smoke appeared to be ejected by the volcano.
—ABC News, 11 July 2025
During a visit to the Chinese city of Yanji, my hosts informed me that this was the perfect season to visit a sacred dormant volcano known as Changbaishan (called Paekdu or Baekdu in Korean).
—Saleem H. Ali, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for volcano
Cite this Entry
“Volcano.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/volcano. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
volcano
noun
vol·ca·no
väl-ˈkā-nō
vȯl-
plural volcanoes or volcanos
: a vent in the earth's crust from which melted or hot rock and steam come out
also
: a hill or mountain composed entirely or in part of the material thrown out
Etymology
from Italian or Spanish; Italian vulcano "volcano," from Spanish vulcán, from Latin Volcanus, Vulcanus "Vulcan (Roman god of fire)"
Word Origin
The ancient Greeks and Romans had many gods and goddesses. Each of these deities was in charge of a special kind of work or an aspect of nature. Many of the happenings in nature were explained in myth as the actions of one or more of these gods or goddesses. The Roman god of fire was known as Vulcanus in Latin (Vulcan in English). He was thought to live inside Mount Etna, a volcano on the island of Sicily. Vulcan was a giant who worked as a blacksmith, forging the thunderbolts for Jupiter, king of the gods. The smoke and occasional fiery rocks and lava that came from Mount Etna were thought to be from Vulcan's forge. That is how his name came to be applied to a mountain that sometimes spews forth fire and smoke.
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