tephra

[tef-ruh]

noun (used with a plural verb)

clastic volcanic material, as scoria, dust, etc., ejected during an eruption.

Origin of tephra

First recorded in 1960–65, tephra is from the Greek word téphra (singular) ashes

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British Dictionary definitions for tephra

tephra

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

tephra in Science

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.