Vesuvian

[ vuh-soo-vee-uhn ]

/ vəˈsu vi ən /

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See synonyms for Vesuvian on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling Mount Vesuvius; volcanic.

noun

(lowercase) a type of match formerly used for lighting cigars; fusee.

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Origin of Vesuvian

First recorded in 1665–75; Vesuvi(us) + -an

Words nearby Vesuvian

vest-pocket, vest-pocket park, vestry, vestryman, vesture, Vesuvian, vesuvianite, vesuvianite jade, Vesuvius, vet, vetch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Vesuvian in a sentence

The Duke's vesuvian was sputtering in the spray and wind, and he got a good light before he answered.
Doctor Claudius, A True Story|F. Marion Crawford
Suffice it to say that one day Miles and his father had a Vesuvian meeting on the subject of the army.
Blue Lights|R.M. Ballantyne
At last the eruption became "Vesuvian," and the ashes from the crater threatened to re-bury Pompeii—we mean Ashcroft.
Skookum Chuck Fables|Skookum Chuck (pseud for R.D. Cumming)
“Some few of them are sensible, though,” went on the latter, flaring up a vesuvian to light his pipe.
'Tween Snow and Fire|Bertram Mitford

Still another of our well-remembered pensions was on the bright Vesuvian Bay.
Lippincott's Magazine, November 1885|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Vesuvian

vesuvian

/ (vɪˈsuːvɪən) /

noun

(esp formerly) a match for lighting cigars; fusee

another name for vesuvianite

Word Origin for vesuvian

C18 (the mineral), C19 (the match): both named after Vesuvius

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