Plinian
Britishadjective
Etymology
Origin of Plinian
C20: named after Pliny the Younger, who described such eruptions
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Plinian eruptions represent the most explosive class of volcanic eruptions and are named after Pliny the Elder, who described the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
A 550-year-old Plinian eruption at El Chichón Volcano, Chiapas, Mexico: explosive volcanism linked to reheating of the magma reservoir.
From Nature ● Dec. 12, 2017
The mountain is at Alert Level 2: A full-scale Plinian eruption may be unlikely, but smaller events would be very hard to predict.
From Slate ● Feb. 29, 2012
While at Edinburgh, Darwin was a member of the Plinian Society, and read a couple of papers on some observations in natural history.
From Beacon Lights of History, Volume 14 The New Era; A Supplementary Volume, by Recent Writers, as Set Forth in the Preface and Table of Contents by John Lord
Attends meetings of the Plinian Royal Medical and Wernerian societies.
From Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 2 by Sir Francis Darwin
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