stratovolcano

American  

[strey-toh-vol-key-noh, strat-oh-] / ˌstreɪ toʊ vɒlˈkeɪ noʊ, ˌstræt oʊ- /

noun

Geology.

• stratovolcanoes,
  plural
• stratovolcanos
  plural

1. a conical volcano with a sloping profile, often very grand in size, having been formed by alternating layers of lava and fragmental material such as ash and cinders.

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stratovolcano Scientific  

/ străt′ō-vŏl-kā′nō /

1. See under volcano

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• stratovolcanoes
  plural
• stratovolcanos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of stratovolcano

First recorded in 1890–95; strato- ( def. ) + volcano ( def. ); translation of German Stratovulkan

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stratovolcano stratovolcanoes

She fell from around 13,000 feet to about 11,500 feet, nearly the length of five football fields, before coming to rest on the stratovolcano.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

These missing rocks can add up to entire missing landscapes: beyond Earth, you’d have a tough time finding anything like the limestone columns of Hạ Long Bay, a stratovolcano like Mt.

From National Geographic ● Oct. 12, 2023

Semeru, the stratovolcano in shape of a cone, is also known as Mahameru, meaning “The Great Mountain” in Sanskrit.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2021

When a stratovolcano erupts, the rock layer is smashed into tiny dust particles.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2018

Fuji in Japan, a typical stratovolcano: symmetrical, increasing slope, and a visible crater at the top.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

"Spreading centers are associated with less explosive activity, while the most explosive eruptions are usually along subduction zones and involve large stratovolcanoes."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026

The magma plume fueling Mauna Loa is made primarily of molten basalt, which is less viscous than the magma beneath steeper stratovolcanoes like Mount St. Helens and Mount Vesuvius.

From New York Times ● Dec. 3, 2022

Cotopaxi is one of South America's most active stratovolcanoes.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2022

The Three Sisters and Broken Top, all stratovolcanoes dotted with patches of snow and ice, dominated the skyline across the valley.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 2, 2022

“I typically talk about the High Sierra, then you hit the chain of stratovolcanoes, going over the shoulder of each one from Mount Lassen all the way to Glacier Peak. It’s just fantastic hiking.”

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2016