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volcano

[vol-key-noh]

Origin

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noun, plural -noes, -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:
1605–15; < Italian < Latin Volcānus, variant of Vulcānus Vulcan

Can be confused: caldera, fumarole, geyser, volcano.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Volcano is always a great word to know.

So is slumgullion. Does it mean:

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

volcano (vɒlˈkeɪnəʊ)

—n , pl -noes, -nos
1.	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
2.	a mountain formed from volcanic material ejected from a vent in a central crater

[C17: from Italian, from Latin VolcānusVulcan¹, whose forges were believed to be responsible for volcanic rumblings]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

volcano

1610s, from It. vulcano "burning mountain," from L. Vulcanus "Vulcan," Roman god of fire, also "fire, flames, volcano" (see Vulcan). The name was first applied to Mt. Etna by the Romans, who believed it was the forge of Vulcan.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

volcano

(vŏl-kā'nō) Pronunciation Key

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.