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

Inspired by the 1771 watercolor 'Night view of a current of lava' by British-Italian artist Pietro Fabris, the device was designed to use light and movement to mimic flowing lava and explosive bursts from Vesuvius.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2026

It had the potential to be "Port Talbot's Pompeii", he suggested, playfully referring to the ancient Roman city preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2026

If the eruption had occurred in August, the population surrounding Vesuvius would have been far denser than usual and the death toll potentially higher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

An intricate mechanical model created in 1775 to capture the explosive beauty of Italy's Mount Vesuvius has erupted to life for the very first time, 250 years after it was first imagined.

From Science Daily • Nov. 7, 2025

He was eating a light supper at nine in the evening when the front door cried out in the hall and Mildred ran from the parlour like a native fleeing an eruption of Vesuvius.

From "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury