geyser

American  

[gahy-zer, -ser, gee-zer] / ˈgaɪ zər, -sər, ˈgi zər /

noun

1. a hot spring that intermittently sends up fountainlike jets of water and steam into the air.

2. British Informal. a hot-water heater, as for a bath.

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verb (used without object)

1. to spew forth as or like a geyser.

   the kettle geysering all over the stove.

geyser British  

/ ˈɡiːzə, ˈɡaɪzər /

noun

1. a spring that discharges steam and hot water

2. a domestic gas water heater

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geyser Scientific  

/ gī′zər /

1. A natural hot spring that regularly ejects a spray of steam and boiling water into the air.

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Other Word Forms

• geyseral adjective
• geyseric adjective

Etymology

Origin of geyser

1755–65; < Icelandic Geysir name of a hot spring in Iceland, literally, gusher, derivative of geysa to gush

Example Sentences

A buildup in pressure across the region is propelling wastewater up ancient wellbores, birthing geysers that can cost millions of dollars to clean up.

From The Wall Street Journal

A vast canyon of buried garbage has been smoldering inside a landfill in the Santa Clarita Valley, inducing geysers of liquid waste onto the surface and noxious fumes into the air.

From Los Angeles Times

One of the most dramatic findings came from Enceladus, a small icy moon where towering geysers shot material into space, creating a faint sub-ring around Saturn made of the ejected debris.

From Science Daily

“When I arrived,” one worker remembered, “a ruptured ground pipe was spraying water like a geyser and had caused a mudslide that covered the stairs.”

From Literature

The optimism catalyzed China’s tech industry, unleashed an even bigger geyser of government support and jolted American competition into overdrive.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• gusher
• hot spring