volcanic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, produced by, or characterized by the presence of volcanoes
a volcanic region
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suggestive of or resembling an erupting volcano
a volcanic era
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another word for extrusive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of volcanic
Explanation
If something is volcanic, it's violently explosive, like the volcanic eruption from a mountain or a two-year-old's volcanic temper tantrum after skipping his afternoon nap. Use this adjective to describe anything related to volcanoes, like volcanic ash and rock left behind after a volcanic eruption, or the volcanic activity picked up by a scientist's equipment. It's also a great way to talk about emotions that are (figuratively, at least) as volatile as a volcano. If your sister's mood is volcanic, you'll want to steer clear of her. The source of both volcanic and volcano is the Roman god of fire, Vulcan.
Vocabulary lists containing volcanic
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Pacific Islands - Introductory
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Pacific Islands - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Supereruptions are among the most powerful volcanic events on Earth.
From Science Daily • Jun. 28, 2026
Over the past 2.1 million years, it has experienced two supereruptions, making it an important site for studying the behavior of giant volcanic systems.
From Science Daily • Jun. 28, 2026
When they occur, investigators usually search for a common cause - fuel contamination, a disruption in fuel supply, bird strikes, volcanic ash or some broader system failure.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
A daredevil social media free-climber nicknamed the "Spider-Man of Yemen" has died after falling into a volcanic crater in the country's south-west.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
The great volcanic plumes of Io reach so high that they are close to injecting their atoms directly into the space around Jupiter.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
