[kal-der-uh, kawl-] 
| a large, basinlike depression resulting from the explosion or collapse of the center of a volcano. |
| cal·de·ra (kāl-dâr'ə, -dîr'ə, käl-) n. A large crater formed by volcanic explosion or by collapse of a volcanic cone. [Spanish, cauldron, caldera, from Late Latin caldāria; see cauldron.] |
| caldera (kāl-dâr'ə, -dîr'ə, käl-) Pronunciation Key
A large, roughly circular crater left after a volcanic explosion or the collapse of a volcanic cone. Calderas are typically much wider in diameter than the openings of the vents from which they were formed. |