volcanoes

Variant of volcano

volcano definition

vol·cano (väl kā′nō, vôl-)

noun pl. volcanoes -·noes or volcanos -·nos

  1. a vent in the earth's crust through which molten rock (lava), rock fragments, gases, ashes, etc. are ejected from the earth's interior: a volcano is active while erupting, dormant during a long period of inactivity, or extinct when all activity has finally ceased
  2. a cone-shaped hill or mountain, wholly or chiefly of volcanic materials, built up around the vent, usually so as to form a crater

Etymology: It < L Volcanus, Vulcan

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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