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

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Etymology

Origin of eruption

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

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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

The eruption of chaos in the stadium was certainly helped by the fact that the fan groups hated each other.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

The extended day has always been a sad fact of French school life and can hardly account for the present eruption.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The park service said earthquakes during the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption and summit collapse had damaged the cliffs near the arch.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

It also recorded enough information about when the eruption occurred to give modern scientists an unusually precise historical reference point for testing volcanic dating techniques.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

Buzz felt a shock race through him that had nothing to do with the eruption.

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

That includes eruptions from volcanoes that continue to pose risks to heavily populated regions around Mexico City, Naples and Yogyakarta in Indonesia.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

During what is thought to have been a series of immense volcanic eruptions, life within hundreds of kilometers of the blasts was shattered.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Earlier geological surveys had interpreted the local breccia rocks as evidence of a funnel-shaped volcanic structure called a diatreme, which forms when explosive magma eruptions create a pipe filled with shattered rock.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Even the Old Faithful geyser becomes less faithful: its usually regular eruptions become harder to predict.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

It was a meeting typical of what everyone had come to expect from Mullineaux—warnings of danger cushioned in a peaceful voice, wild fears and rumors tempered by the limits of past eruptions.

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

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Related Words

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

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