Surtsey
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of Surtsey
First recorded in 1960–65; from Icelandic; literally, “Surt's Island,” equivalent to Surt-, a proper name + -s, genitive singular noun ending + ey “island”; see origin at Surt ( def. ), island ( def. )
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.
When the volcanic island of Surtsey emerged from the North Atlantic Ocean in 1963, it presented scientists with a rare natural experiment: a chance to watch life begin on untouched land.
From Science Daily • Nov. 4, 2025
On the island of Surtsey, researchers are forced to perch atop lava boulders to deposit theirs straight into the crashing ocean.
From Scientific American • Oct. 19, 2023
This includes Surtseyan eruptions, named after Surtsey, a volcano off the Icelandic coast that explosively grew above the waves in the 1960s until it formed a new island.
From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2021
The volcanic island of Surtsey became a kind of natural laboratory in which the arrival of life could be observed taking place.
From The Guardian • Jul. 31, 2010
"Volcano: Birth of an Island" presents stunning scenes of lava erupting from beneath the sea to form the island Surtsey, off the coast of Iceland.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
