tephra
[ tef-ruh ]
/ ˈtɛf rə /
noun (used with a plural verb)
clastic volcanic material, as scoria, dust, etc., ejected during an eruption.
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Origin of tephra
First recorded in 1960–65, tephra is from the Greek word téphra (singular) ashes
Words nearby tephra
tepe, tepee, tepefy, Tepe Gawra, Tepexpán man, tephra, tephrite, tephrochronology, tephroite, Tepic, tepid
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for tephra
tephra
/ (ˈtɛfrə) /
noun
mainly US solid matter ejected during a volcanic eruption
Word Origin for tephra
C20: Greek, literally: ashes
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
Scientific definitions for tephra
tephra
[ tĕf′rə ]
Solid matter, such as ash, dust, and cinders, that is ejected into the air by an erupting volcano. Tephra is a general term for all pyroclastic materials ejected from a volcano.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.