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fumarole

[fyoo-muh-rohl]
noun
  1. a hole in or near a volcano, from which vapor rises.
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Origin of fumarole

1805–15; < French fumerolle < Late Latin fūmāriōlum, diminutive of Latin fūmārium smoke chamber, equivalent to fūm(us) smoke + -ārium -arium; see -ole1
Related formsfu·ma·rol·ic [fyoo-muh-rol-ik] /ˌfyu məˈrɒl ɪk/, adjective
Can be confusedcaldera fumarole geyser volcano
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for fumarole

Historical Examples

  • The temperature of the vapour within the fumarole was 184, and water boiled at 189.

    Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10

    Various

  • The temperature of the vapor just within the fumarole is 184°, water boiling beside it at 189°.

  • But if the fumarole continues active, hydrochloric acid issues with the smoke, and often some time after sulphuric acid.

  • This fumarole is only a bomb or rounded mass of enormous size, four or five metres in diameter.

British Dictionary definitions for fumarole

fumarole

noun
  1. a vent in or near a volcano from which hot gases, esp steam, are emitted
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Derived Formsfumarolic (ˌfjuːməˈrɒlɪk), adjective

Word Origin

C19: from French fumerolle, from Late Latin fūmāriolum smoke hole, from Latin fūmus smoke
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
fumarole in Science

fumarole

[fyōō′mə-rōl′]
  1. A vent in the surface of the Earth from which hot smoke and gases escape. Fumaroles are found on or near volcanoes, especially in areas where volcanic activity is in its later stages.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.