Vesuvius

American  

[vuh-soo-vee-uhs] / vəˈsu vi əs /

noun

1. Mount, an active volcano in SW Italy, near Naples. Its eruption destroyed the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum a.d. 79. About 3,900 feet (1,190 meters).

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Vesuvius British  

/ vɪˈsuːvɪəs /

noun

1. Italian name: Vesuvio.  a volcano in SW Italy, on the Bay of Naples: first recorded eruption in 79 _ad , which destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae; numerous eruptions since then. Average height: 1220 m (4003 ft)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Vesuvius

Even under the worst kind of duress, they don’t want to flee their homes, their belongings, certainly not their families, despite the threatening burps of Vesuvius.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

A mechanical artwork first imagined in 1775 to recreate the eruption of Italy's Mount Vesuvius has been brought to life for the first time, 250 years after it was conceived.

From Science Daily ● May 2, 2026

The other victims of Vesuvius whose remains have been uncovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum have remained relatively statuelike in their anonymity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

The fire came within a few feet of the Villa, famously a re-creation of an ancient Roman country home that was buried beneath the huge volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025

I learned about how the whole city of Pompeii got covered up when Vesuvius erupted.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper