Kilauea

American  

[kee-lou-ey-ah, -ey-uh, kil-oh-] / ˌki laʊˈeɪ ɑ, -ˈeɪ ə, ˌkɪl oʊ- /

noun

1. an active volcano on the Island of Hawaii: the youngest of the five shield volcanoes that form the island and the most active, having erupted almost continuously since 1983. 4,091 feet (1,247 meters).

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Kilauea British  

/ ˌkiːlɑːuːˈeɪə /

noun

1. a crater on the E side of Mauna Loa volcano, on SE Hawaii island: the world's largest active crater. Height: 1247 m (4090 ft). Width: 3 km (2 miles)

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Etymology

Origin of Kilauea

First recorded in 1840–45; from Hawaiian: literally, “much spreading, spewing”

Example Sentences

Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes located in the Hawaiian Islands.

From Barron's • Nov. 10, 2025

Axial Seamount, by contrast, is a volcano that, during eruptions, oozes lava — similar to the type of eruptions in Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025

Kilauea, on Hawaii's Big Island, is one of the world's most active volcanoes.

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2024

Typically the primary hazard during during Kilauea eruptions is volcanic gas, which reacts with the atmosphere to create volcanic smog, or “vog.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2024

This is so with Kilauea and Mouna Loa, both on the small island of Hawaii.

From The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live In by Lubbock, John, Sir