diatreme
[ dahy-uh-treem ]
nounGeology.
a volcanic vent produced in a solid rock structure by the explosive energy of gases in magmas.
Origin of diatreme
11930–35; dia- + Greek trêma hole
Words Nearby diatreme
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use diatreme in a sentence
Most maars have low rims composed of a mixture of loose fragments of volcanic rock and rocks torn from the walls of the diatreme.
Volcanoes | Robert I. Tilling
Scientific definitions for diatreme
diatreme
[ dī′ə-trēm′ ]
A volcanic pipe, filled with breccia, formed by a subterranean gaseous explosion. See illustration at batholith.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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