Plinian

/ (ˈplɪnɪən) /

adjective

geology (of a volcanic eruption) characterized by repeated explosions

QUIZZES

IS YOUR VOCABULARY AS STRONG AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT? TRY THIS QUIZ TO SEE!

It may seem like fun and games but this quiz that uses vocab from popular stories will determine how much you know.
Question 1 of 10
disgruntle
to deprive of ability, qualification, or strength
to put into a state of sulky dissatisfaction
to make repayment or return for (service, benefits, etc.)
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Word Origin for Plinian

C20: named after Pliny the Younger, who described such eruptions

Words nearby Plinian

pliers, plight, plimsoll, Plimsoll line, Plimsoll mark, Plinian, plink, plinth, plinth block, Pliny, plio-
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

Example sentences from the Web for Plinian

  • It would be impossible in any case for me to attempt a Plinian panegyric, or a French éloge.

    The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. II (2 vols)|Thomas De Quincey

  • Fast-moving deadly pyroclastic flows (“nuées ardentes”) are also commonly associated with plinian eruptions.

    Volcanoes|Robert I. Tilling

  • Read two papers before the Plinian Society of Edinburgh "at the close of 1826 or early in 1827."

    More Letters of Charles Darwin|Charles Darwin

  • The most powerful eruptions are called “plinian” and involve the explosive ejection of relatively viscous lava.

    Volcanoes|Robert I. Tilling