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).

---

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)

---

Example Sentences

Birth amid the early Industrial Revolution, training with Joshua Reynolds’s teacher, and a budget visit to see Naples and Vesuvius.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

If Vesuvius had erupted in late August, going to the market that day may well have been the best decision of many people’s lives.

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

The fire came within a few feet of the Villa, famously a re-creation of an ancient Roman country home that was buried beneath the huge volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025

As the chief resident joked later, it was as if Theresa were Vesuvius, and the rest of the staff, Pompeii.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen