Vesuvius

American  

[vuh-soo-vee-uhs] / vəˈsu vi əs /

noun

1. Mount, an active volcano in SW Italy, near Naples. Its eruption destroyed the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum a.d. 79. About 3,900 feet (1,190 meters).

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Vesuvius British  

/ vɪˈsuːvɪəs /

noun

1. Italian name: Vesuvio.  a volcano in SW Italy, on the Bay of Naples: first recorded eruption in 79 _ad , which destroyed Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae; numerous eruptions since then. Average height: 1220 m (4003 ft)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Vesuvius

Vesuvius in AD 79, he wasn’t just horrified, he was mesmerized, even excited; amid all that death it felt like the past was alive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

The other victims of Vesuvius whose remains have been uncovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum have remained relatively statuelike in their anonymity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

An intricate mechanical model created in 1775 to capture the explosive beauty of Italy's Mount Vesuvius has erupted to life for the very first time, 250 years after it was first imagined.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2025

He writes in a wry, amicable style, skillfully layering on his chosen leitmotifs—the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025

Newspapers launched crusades against pestilent alleys and excess smoke and identified the worst offenders in print—among them Burnham’s newly opened Masonic Temple, which the Chicago Tribune likened to Mount Vesuvius.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson