eruption

American  

[ih-ruhp-shuhn] / ɪˈrʌp ʃən /

noun

• eruptions
  plural

1. an issuing forth suddenly and violently; outburst; outbreak.

2. Geology. the ejection of molten rock, steam, etc., as from a volcano or geyser.

3. something that is erupted or ejected, as molten rock, volcanic ash, or steam.

4. Pathology.

   1. the breaking out of a rash or the like.

   2. a rash or exanthem.

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eruption Scientific  

/ ĭ-rŭp′shən /

1. The release of gas, ash, molten materials, or hot water into the atmosphere or onto the Earth's surface from a volcano or other opening in the Earth's surface.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noneruption
  noun
• preeruption
  noun
• reeruption
  noun
• eruptional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• eruptions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of eruption

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin ēruptiōn- (stem of ēruptiō ). See erupt, -ion

Explanation

An eruption is an explosion of steam and lava from a volcano. This word is also used for other explosions, such as "an eruption of emotions." If there's an eruption of a volcano, you don't want to be anywhere near it. When a volcano erupts, it spews a huge amount of lava, ash, and steam into the air. If you were angry at a friend but held your tongue for a long time, then suddenly started yelling in anger, that's an eruption too. The sudden spreading of a disease could be called an eruption. Eruptions are quick, huge, explosive, and dangerous: they're never good news.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eruption eruptions

Some 550 firefighters are in the battle against the flames near the eruption of another fire in July that covered 37 square kilometres of land.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

And another that she lived through as a child: the 1985 eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, which wiped out an entire town called Armero and left 25,000 dead.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

The eruption of the Fuego volcano in Guatemala has triggered the evacuation of at least two villages on its slopes.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

An international research team led by The University of Manchester analyzed magma from the 2021 Tajogaite eruption on La Palma, Spain.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

The eruption of Mount St. Helens was the first time that scientists had a clear picture of a lateral blast.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Ash from the eruptions has been clouding the skies over eastern Sicily and has disrupted hundreds of flights at Catania International Airport in the past week.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Volcanic eruptions can have the opposite effect by sending particles into the atmosphere that reflect sunlight, while changes in the Sun's activity can also produce smaller temperature variations.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

A vast reservoir of magma beneath Japan's Kikai caldera appears to be filling again, offering scientists a rare glimpse into how some of Earth's largest volcanoes recover after catastrophic eruptions.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

Also called a cumulonimbus flammagenitus, they can occur during volcanic eruptions or, as in this case, when a wildfire roasts the air near the ground, causing it to rise quickly.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

But Crandell and Mullineaux were far from the first to realize that Mount St. Helens had a long history of eruptions.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Related Words

• blast
• breakout
• burst
• explosion
• flare-up
• outbreak
• outburst